Evening star., 1953-04-19
Transfer Ruled Out
Despite Problem on
Equestrian Events
BY the Assoeioted Press

MEXICO CITY, April lS.-Ine
international Olympic Commit
tee decided today that the 1856
Olympic Games will be held in
Melbourne, Australia, after all.
Despite the still-unsolved prob
lem of the equestrian events, the
committee decided after a closed
212-hour session that the games
would stay in Melbourne. The
announcement by Otto Mayer of
Switzerland. secretary general of
the committee, halted rumorS
the games might be taken away
from the Australians because of
insufficient preparations.
The games first were awarded
to Melbourne in 1949 but reports
persisted in the last three months
that the games might be switched
to another city. Avery Brundage
of Chicago, president of the In
ternational Olympic Committee,
publicly warned the Australians
in January that they must pre-
pare properly or lose the games.
w. A. Coles, chairman of the
Melbourne Organizing Commit
tee. said his group would con-
tinue to work with Australian
government officials in an effort
to gain relaxation of the Com
monwealth's quarantine laws,
which sharply restrict importa-
tion of foreign horses.
The rules require that only
horses from New Zealand, the
United Kingdom and Fire be
allowed into Australia without
delay. Horses from other coun-
tries must spend six months in
one of these four countries first.
Coles said, however. that the
1OC seemed satisfied with Mel
bourne'S progress in preparing
for other sports. Coles and Hugh
Weir, senior Australian repre-
sentative on the IOC. came to
the meeting equipped with a
lengthy report detailing their
plans for holding the games.
During the meeting, Great
Britain proposed that the enues-
trian events, like the winter
games, be held in some other
country. This would require
suspension of Olympic rules and
because of this the idea was
voted down. Brundage rejected
another suggestion that the
equestrian events be eliminated
on the grounds that the events
are traditional sports in the
Olvmpics.
The Australians proposed yes
terday that horses of partici-
pating countries be concen-
trated in England or the United
States and examined there by
Australian veterinarians. But
Japan, among others. pointed out
this would be handicap to Far
Eastern countries.
Nine Latin American countries,
still not reconciled to the posi-
bility of a quarantine. today dis
cuSSed the possibility of a quar-
antine, today discussed the posi-
bility of forming a block pledged
not to compete in the equestrian
events.
Only Six Nations Needed.
But the Australians pointed
out that only six nations need
to enter to establish an Olympic
event. They said only two other
countries would be needed to join
the four exempt from quarantine
regulations.
The quarantine, incidentally,
Is designed to prevent the intro
duction of several horse diseases,
common in other countries but
unknown in Australia.
The AusSieS said before today'S
meeting they thought time was
on their side in the discussions.
Brundage said when the IOC
meetings started that if Mel
bourne should be turned down,
it would be unfair to reach a
decision on a 1856 site at the
current get-together since Rome
was the only city represented
here. That would put a decision
over until next years meeting at
Athens, which would allow the
substitute city only two years to
get ready.
The fight over the quarantine
regulations was but one of many
since the Aussies were awarded
the games.
Housing Posed Problem.
Housing for the athletes was
the chief stumbling block. The
federal government and the
State of Victoria government
on opposite sides of the political
fence-wrangled over finances,
each claiming the other should
provide the necessary two mil
lion pounds $4,480.000D.
It was finally settled March
"a when Victoria accepted the
offer of a federal government
loan in 1856 to be repayable
in 1861. The federal govern
ment two days earlier had
turned down a suggestion by
Coles that the Commonwealth
advance two million pounds, with
the sum to be deducted from