Evening star., 1936-11-29
PUTS QUESTIONS
TOA.A. !. HEADS
Willing to Bury Hatchet If
Others Do-Worries
Over Status.
BY ALAN GOULD,

"A YEW YORK. November 2S.-
M Eleanor Holm Jarrett, the
" bathing beauty who rocked the
l. American Olympic boat this
Summer, isn't going to Houston, Tex,
next week. but she would like the ad-
ministratlon's forces to know what
she thinks about the situation before
they lock horns with prospective op-
position in the 1885 convention of the
Amateur Athletic Union with Avery
Brundage welding the gavel
IF they want to bury the Olympic
hatchet. as Brundage suggests, they
can do so without worrying me-" re-
marked the girl whose dismissal from
the Olympic team for violation OF
training rules shook the athletic
world.
IF. on the other hand, they bring
the Olympic arguments back into the
open. I would like to have the officers
OF the A. A. U. explain why they per-
mitted varying standards of conduct
to exist on the trip to Berlin, why ]
was singled out for punishment when
the so-called training rules were vio-
lated by dozens Of athletes, and why
the star-chamber proceedings of the
Olympic Committee concerning my
case never were fully made public"
Insists Shes Inside Code.
MRS. JARRETT also is concerned
about her status as an amateur
Despite an ofdcial opinion that she
automatically has professionalism
herself. first. by writing newspaper ar
ticles during the Olympics and, sec.
ondly, by capitalizing her swimming
reputation in night clubs or vaudeville.
the backstroke queen insists she has
violated no amateur code
whether I ever compete again as an
amateur is beside the point" she
declared. ANY and all contracts /
have signed for personal appearances
specifically provided my swimming
record was not to be used in any
advertising. Why would I reject the
offers I have received to COM
merciali1e my swimming ability, if !
did not want to remain within the
letter and spirit Of the amateur rule?
Why would spend my own money
to go to court and fight an attempt
to force me into going with a profess
sIonal swimming tour if I wasn't de-
termined not to jeopardize my ANA
teur Standing?"
There's another point Mrs. Jarrett
would like to settle. with Brundage,
who acted to disbar her from any
amateur competition in Europe,
despite the fact that she had no in
tention of seeking to compete, under
any auspices, amateur or professional.
Brundage was quoted, on his return
to the United States as saying: Mrs.
Jarrett wasn't dismissed from the
team just for drinking"
Misinterpreted, Says Brundage.
THE chairman OF the American
Olympic Committee made the
same statement to this writer, In
Berlin:
II was misinterpreted," he said to
me in Chicago, where ! told him Mrs.
Jarrett had challenged the remark
What I said or intended to say
was that Mrs. Jarrett wasn't dis
missed Just for taking one glass of
champagne She was given a second
chance after her first offense She
def1ed the committees strict warning
She had only herself to blame for the
action that the committee had no
alternative but to take"
II remains to be seen whether q
fresh chapter in the celebrated
Jarrett case" will be written in con-
nection with the A. A. U Convention.
December As. It is only one of
several Olympic issues which may
reach the convention floor. but it
carries the most dynamite" If fully
reopened.
Who was to blame? Was Mrs. JAR
rett at fault, primarily. and was the
Olympic Committee justified in taking
its drastic action?
Satisfactory answers are difficult to
obtain, because Of the different view
points involved, If not actual preju-
dice Mrs. Jarrett unquestionably i'm
bibed freely of champagne and defied
official remonstrances. On the other
hand, there was a lack Of discipline
from the time the gangplank was
raised for the Olympic teams trip to
Germany. The atmosphere Of tension
which marked final preparations,
fund-collecting and team selection,
gave way to reaction on shipboard.
Lacked Understanding.
INDER different circumstances and
~ with fha aid tof counsel frnfn loH1p.