Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-11
|Brundage Says
Still
CanLoseGan

MELBOURNE, Australia. April
II (R.-Obviously disappointed
at the progress being made for
the 1856 Olympics. Avery Brund-
age, president of the Interna-
tional Olympic Committee. said
fatty today that it was not too
late for the games to be taken
from Australia.
II would like to leave saying
I am happy" Brundage said as
he prepared to enplane for Can
berra after surveying Mel
bourne's preparations for the last
eight days. But someone has to
face facts. I am not quite happy
I know Of at least three cities
that could take the games over
at this late stage.
cit is not too late for the games
to be taken from Australia"
Although Brundage evaded d.
rect answers to many questions
during a press conference, there
was no masking his unhappiness
over the turn of events.
Assurance from Organizers
I'm 1949, Melbourne assured
the committee the job could be
DONE" he continued. Three
years later when some nations
asked us to take the games from
Australia. we again were assured
the job could be done.
"A year ago when more ma
tions asked us to take the games
away from Australia. we again
overruled them. Now I leave
Melbourne with the question in
my mind: Can the job be
done?"
Brundage said he had beer
told by Governor Sir Dallas
Brooks. Lord Mayor Councillor
Frank Selleck. Premier Jack Cair
and many other responsible
people the job would be done.
Some members of the games
organizing committee sat behind
Brundage during the hour long
interview. and they looked fal
from happy.
After the conference, high
official OF the committee told the
Associated Press: tits a shame
Brundage did not come here /:
months ago. We might get some
thing done now"
Due to Give Report
Brundage, one of the most in.
fluential men in the Olympic set
up. will make a report to the In
ternational Olympic Committee
at a major meeting next month
in Paris. His report will be in
strumental in determining the
course the committee follows.
The Chicago hotel executive
made a hurried trip here a week
ago when he heard rurnors that
all was not going well. When he
arrived Down Under, he admitted
that his trip was more unofficial
than official because unofficial
reports were disturbing.
Australians have been mos
worried over a dispute between
carpenters and contractors which
halted progress on the building
program two weeks ago.
Brundage will confer with
Prime Minister Menzies in Can.
berra, and although he declined
to say what the subject of theil
discussions would be, he gave
the impression that he woulc
seek to have the Commonwealth
underwrite the games.
Too Many Mere Plans
Every day there are mor'
and more nations thinking WI
have done the wrong thing il
granting the games to Mel
bourne" he said. IF I wer,
responsible for organizing thu
games in Melbourne, I wouls
not be very proud of myself.
There still are too man!
things in the planning stage.
he continued. "They are goot
plans but they should have beer
put into operation long ago. II
the last six years, Australi;
should have gotten a lot fur
ther ahead than plans.
There still are plans for run
ming tracks. The size of thu
cycling tracks still has not beer
decided upon and the Olympus
| Village is still in the planning
stage. although I feel sure ther,
| is good organization there. Blu
most of these venues shoult
have been constructed even be
fore Australia applied for tn,