Evening star., 1948-01-26
IT, Mudd|e Threatens to Wreck Olympic Hockey
Cancel Play, Canadian
Official Urges, Unless
Brundage Yields
By Ted smits
Assoeiofsd Press Sports Editor


ST. NORTH. Switzerland, Jan.
ga usually reliable informant
said today members Of the Inter-
national Olympic Committee had
told the Swiss they must ban the
United States Amateur Hockey Asso-
citation team from the winter games.
The AHA squad has been recog-
nized by the Swiss Organizing COM
mittee as the official United States
representative in the games-an ac-
ton strongly protested by the United
States Olympic Committee, which
has entered its own team.
II the AHA Is barred, indications
are the International Hockey Fed
Grafton may order all It's teams out
Of the competition. i
This would be hard blow to the
box office-conscious Swiss since
hockey is the big money sport Of the
games. Some 10000 fans are counted
on to watch the semifinals and finals.
Committee Meets Tomorrow.
The Swiss have put new pressure
on the Americans to reach a COM
promise, but apparently to no avail.
There Is no sense in talking COM
promise" declared j. Lyman Bing-
ham, an official of the United States
Olympic delegation. 1--WE can't make
new rules now"
The informant who described the
action of TOC members said 1t was
his understanding that the upshot
Of the hockey controversy will be
banning Of both the AHA and United
States Olympic teams from the COM
petition.
The Executive Committee Of the
IOC meets tomorrow and Wednes-
day and the full committee meeting
will be held January 20, just one
day before launching of the fifth
winter games at this Alpine resort.
Avery Brundage. president Of the
United States olympic Committee,
will carry the flght to. the IOC Ex-
ecutive Committee, of which he is a
member. Brundage is expected in
st. Moritz today.
Everything points to a knockdown,
dragout fight. Brundage has
charged the AHA is under domina-
ton of commercial interests. The
United States. Olympic Committee
has voted to withdraw all its teams
from the games If the AHA is per-
mitted to compete.
Would Ban All Teams.
On the other hand, George S.
Dudley, secretary manager of the
Canadian Hockey Association which
works closely with the AHA, has said
he's in favor of pulling all hockey
teams out If the IOC forces the
Swiss to expel the AHA entry.
"The International Hockey Fed
Grafton is feeling Its oats" Bingham
commented. "The sportsmanlike
thing to do would be not to pull
out Of the games regardless of what
happens in the intentional Com
mittee meeting.
THE Hockey Federation owes It
to the Swiss to play in the games
If the Olympic games are wrecked,
it will be the Hockey Federation's
fault"
While the hockey controversy
RACES, other athletes are going
through final rehearsals for the
competition.
Seven Norwegian special ski
jumpers, expected to dominate that
event. arrived last night, virtually
the last competitors to show up.
They were delighted to learn that
wilhelm Hellman of Sweden had
defeated the Americans in the final
big preliminary jumping tests yes
terday at Pontresina.
u. s. Good In Ski Events.
But Americans made a surpris-
ingly good showing In the ski events.
Fifteen-year-old Andrea Mead Of
Rutland, VT, won the Alpine COM
bined trophy after taking first in
the downhill competition and tieing
for 18th in the SALON.
| Barney Mclean of Denver, Colo,
won the mems Alpine combined with
first in the downhill and third in
the slalom.
Donna Fox, coach of the United
States bobsled team. saids weather
had hampered workouts, but his
team looked powerful.
| Maribel Vinson, coach of United
States figure skater Gretchen Mer-
rill, predicted a good showing for
both American men and women in
the figure skating events.
Gretchen may surprise every
one," she said.