Evening star., 1936-08-20
NECESSARY IF us.
IS TO STAY ON TOP
National Organization Put
Teutons Over, He Says.
laudS Yank Team.
BY Special Correspondent.

laudS Yank Team.
By Special Correspondent
~ ERLIN, August 20 (by wireless).
* If the United States wants
to keep ahead of the sport pro-
cession it will have to go in for
national physical training and organi-
cation on the same scale as Germany
and other European countries, in the
opinion Of Avery Brundage, chairman
Of the American Olympic Committee.
That Is the final lesson which Brun-
dage is taking back to America from
the biggest and showiest athletic con-
test ever staged in modern or ancient
times. He bases this lesson on the re-
markable sweep of Olympic medals
with which Germany concluded the
games and which seems to justify the
tremendous organization and huge
sport industry that Germany built up,
not only on the site Of the Olympic
games but throughout the Reich.
This lesson. Brundage quickly en-
phasized, is In no sense reflection on
the American olympic team. Quite to
the contrary.
II am happy and proud Of the
achievements of the American team"
he said. 1T was the finest team we
ever sent abroad. Its performance
amply repaid all the labor and all the
trouble we had in getting it here; it
also represents the best thanks imagin-
able to all those who supported US.
Germans Thoroughly Organized.
WE DID very well, indeed, in all
w major sports. track, field, SWIM
ming, diving, eight-oared rowing, bas-
ket ball and our riders were right out
in front. We took several medals in
wrestling and boxing and In fencing
We lost only by close margin.
In minor sports, like soccer, field
hand ball and gymnastics, our stand
ards apparently are not up to those
of other countries. But what i'm
pressed me most was the fact that
other nations are taking physical train
ing and sports so much more seriously
than we are. Take Germany. In 1892
she got only few medals; this time
she led all other nations.
"Of course, the great enthusiasm
with which all Germany prepared for
the games stimulated performance, but
the decisive factors seem to have been
the good physical condition of the
German athletes, the perfect national
organization, the intensive training
and the almost supernatural deter
mination to win.
Situation Is Reversed.
I'm THE past Europe learned from
the United States. Now we must
learn from Europe. II we want to
hold our own we will have to begin to
train in the same intensive way and
to be group Of athletic clubs and
must become a national organization"
OF course, the German organization
was possible only because Of the rigid
discipline enforced by the Nal au-
thorities, and the repeated rows on the
American team are rather discourage
Ing for the transportation Of such
was inclined to take rather light view
Of these rows.
Asked about the case Of Jesse Owens,
Brundage said:
IF Owens is suspended, he sus-
pended himself Owens, like the
others, selected his own itinerary, the
places where he wanted to perform
All preparations had been made for
the trip, which had been widely ad-
vertised. Under the A. A. U. rules
he must keep his promises. If he fails
to appear at a place where he prom
1sed to appear, he automatically sus-
pends himself"
II am awfully sorry about it,"
Brundage added. "Just q few days
ago I sent Owens congratulations in
London on his performance, tact ard
modesty. It is too bad. I think he
had some bad advice from some
body"
No More About Eleanor.
IN REGARDS to the other major
row, namely, the suspension of
Eleanor Holm Jarrett because of
drinking, Brundage refused to add
anything to the official statement pre-
viously issued. But in regards to her
exclusion from other athletic contests
In Europe, Brundage said:
"!She took up writing for news
papers and under the rules that auto
matically bars her from amateur con-
tests"
In general, however, Brundage en-
phasized that the spirit Of the Amer
1can team had been excellent. He
also expressed great satisfaction at
the manner in which the Olympic
spirit had taken hold Of Germany and
promises to take hold Of Japan in
1910.
They did everything for u.s." he
said, enthusiastically. IF anything,
they did too much. The only criti-
cism I voiced to the German oficials
was that they were too polite, thereby
stretching out individual contests too
much. It would have been better had
they hurried little more"
tcopyrisht. 1896. BY the Norta American
Newspaper Alliance mc.)
LIFE ElIhRnS cnMpETE