The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-10-16

MT. Walsh, who is widely known, both in this country and abroad in the world of sport, Is to plan and program all sports events to be held ct the Fair" MT, Whalen said.
 Tt Is intended that these sports shall be international In character, and an all-sports committee Is now being formed to cover the athletic pastimes of this country and of for- eign nations.
 Preliminary surveys In these fields have already been made and within six or eight weeks there will be detailed announcement of what the Fair will present and the diver sified program of It's sports events" 1"
 The plan Is comprehensive In every sense and entails the provid- ing of special facilities.
 Prom the very first" MT. Whalen said, i've have had in mind the pre- sentation of @ widely diversified athletic program aS part of what the Fair will offer to the millions of Americans and those of other na- tons who will visit 1t.
 To Equal The Olympics
 We hope to be able to arrange contests between individual cham pions and teams, native and for- eign, which will give to the Fairs program of sport an importance In many ways equal to that of the Olympics.
 Mans devotion to sport, either as participant or as observer eager to cheer on Q favorite contestant, is as old aS the bone-scratched drawings on the wall of c cave. In this country, single sporting events have drawn an attendance in eX- cess of l20,000, which Is almost three times the number that filled the Roman Colosseum. Football games between leading American universities or academies attract more than 100000 spectators, baSe- ball audiences often number 6b,000' It Is estimated that not less than half 0 million persons 90 to Epson Downs every spring to see the Eng lish Dedby run. That shows how important and popular sports are.
 Sports of All Ages
 An unusual feature of the Fairs contemplated athletic events is the presentation Of those sports Of dis tant peoples which, though Of tre- mendous local appeal and often Of great antiquity, are practically un- known in the United States, fa- miliar, as . rule, only to far-faring travellers and not always thoroughly understood by them.
 Another idea Is to devote Q large share of attention to those sports which are not already highly capi- talked and exploited in this coin- try. In such c category are, for instance, archery, cricket, soccer, table tennis, rugby football, badmin- ton, field hockey, jiu-jitsu, lacrosse, squash, jai alai, hurling and tossing the saber, which is dear to the hearts of muscular daelS.
 Until the formation of Commit tee on Sports, the plans for athletic events and the manner in which they are to Do conducted will not DO completed in detail. But I can give assurance now that nothing will Do neglected to make memorable the sports of the New Tor; Worlds Fair of iD30."
 Timely Events Scheduled
 AS an addition to the Fairs own athletic carnival, there will be many notable sports events in and around New York during the progress Of the exposition. The United States open Golf Championship matches VIII be played in i030 At Lakevllle, Long Island, which b only seven miles from the Fair grounds. The sum mer of that year will also see the All.star baseball game between chosen players of the American ana National Leagues at the yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Important tennis tournaments will Do held on the courts ct Forest Hills, whicn adjoin the Fair site, and other con. tests of importance will be held throughout the Metropolitan Area of New York.
 The site for the Fairs sports area now being considered in c long leve, stretch on the western shore ci Meadow Lake, the more northern of the eXposition'S two ornAmentaI iagoonS, across the water from the amusement section. It is proposed to construct there on athletic field of Q size to give room for c football gridiron and provide space at itS upper end for tennis courts. On the two long sides of the field 1t Is pro' posed to have grandStandS, each seating 5000 and composed Of Tlov- able units of the type used by New York City iii setting Up temporary reviewing stands on days Of national or municipal celebration and parade