Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-09
Olympic Chiefs
Plead for Halt
To Withdrawals
Fear New Rhuburb
IfHunguriuns Insist
On Raising Own Flag

MELBOURNE. Australia, Nov
10 tR.-Olympic officials said to-
Iday they are stunned" and "bit-
terly disappointed" that politics
are creeping in to spoil the
great sports spectacle.
Commenting on recurring With
drawals from the Games, the
--latest being Switzerland, w. S.
Kent Hughes. chairman of the
organizing Committee, said:
Politics are a matter for the
government. Sports should be
something apart and should set
ian example for friendliness
among nations.
These Olympics should set a
shining light for warning nations
and show that men can COM
pete on the fields in friendly
rivalry. You cannot get over an
idea by punching a man in the
jaw"
The executive officer of the
Games. 1t. Gen. Sir William
Bridgeford. called the with
drawals "a great pity" and said
The is sorry to see countries, es-
Ipecially small countries, "swayed
from the great Olympic ideal by
politics
Bitter Disappointment
This is a bitter disappoint-
ment to us naturally, since we
have made such exhaustive prep
larations and sought to hold the
Games in the true Olympic
spirit" he added.
| Tug Wilson, president Of the
United States Olympic Commit
tee, agreed that there is no place
for politics in the Games.
Il would like to see all nations
reconsider their action and come
back into the Games as an ex-
ample to the rest of the world
that men can live and play be-
side each other in peace" he
said.
! In addition to Switzerland,
lother countries to withdraw are
Spain, the Netherlands, Iraq,
Red China and Egypt.
| Denmark. Norway, Belgium
and Luxembourg also may with
draw.
(In Chicago today, Avery
Brundage, president of the In
ternational Olympic Commit
tee, said Spain has "reconsid-
cred" its withdrawal. He ex-
] pressed hope that other nations
who quit would reconsider.
saying, Every civilized person
recoilS in horror at the savage
slaughter in Hungary, but that
is no reason for destroying the
nucleus of international CO.
operation.
] Meanwhile, the arrival pace is
accelerating and hundreds of
lcolorfully uniformed teams are
pouring in at the airports. Two
American planeloads were due in
tonight.
Athletes already here are
eagerly awaiting the landing of
such American greats as Parry
O'Brien, Olympic and world rec
ord shot putter: Charles Dumas
the worlds only 7-foot high
jumper: Glenn Davis, the fastest
400-meter hurdler, and Lou
Jones, world record 4O0-meter
runner.
Hungarians Due Tomorrow
Athletes and officials from
France, Italy. Britain, National
list China, Trinidad, Ceylon and
Russia as well as the United
States either had arrived or were
due in tonight. Sixty Hungari-
ans, who were due this evening
were not now expected until
early tomorrow.
The landing of the Hungari-
an athletes, many of whom
fought against the Russians in
the current uprising, could pro-
woke a first class rhubarb in the
Olympic village and pose another
delicate problem for harassed
officials.
A Hungarian informant here,
who refused use of his name,
said the athletes would insist
on raising the old Hungarian
nag instead of the Communist
banner and would refuse to COM
pete unless that was done.
The Hungarian team was out
standing at the Helsinki Olym-
pics. capturing 16 gold medals
more than anyone else, excepting
the giant teams from the United
States and Russia.
Israeli's symbolic Olympic
team left Tel Aviv yesterday. The
three-member team is made up
See OLYMPICS, Page C-5