Evening star., 1960-09-05
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV By FRANCIS sTANN
Not Without Precedent

TUG WILSON'S MEETING with other United States
Olympic brass to discuss rumors of high living ove-con-
fdence and other possible factors in what has been
described generally disappointing showing by Amer-
in Rome not without precedent The files avail
able to remind that the matter has in the past
Today, in Rome, Wilson said of misconduct
among American athletes absolutely unounded In
fact resent the implications made by misnformed in
dvuals that athletes have failed to live up to their
responsibilities We have complete confidence in our United
States athletes competitors and in their conduct as
ladies and gentlemen"
The noted Olympic historian Col. A. NJ Weyand
deduced after the 1928 Games in Amsterdam that the
failure to win their usual quota of running
events was probably good for America
"They (the faureS) not sufficiently serious to
the loss of The Gaes yet they served to excite
tremendous of interest in athletics in this country
Col Weyand noted THE entire Nation looked into the
matter People who had taken any particular interest
in sports wanted to the for the apparent
sudden collapse of our runners"
Then as now rival nations took unveiled delight in
beating Americans, whose failures were ascrbed to- ~
overweight, (2) overmanagement 90 oVertrainng ~
internal dissensons, and (5) mental attitude
THE BRITISH PAPERS claimed that Chief Steward
Hedorn of the S. S. President Roosevelt which carried
the team declared that at meal 800 persons consumed
$50 steaks and of the athletes ate dozen for
breakfast The London Daily News needed the Americans
in part
I'VE own to taking little quiet satisfaction in the
surprise expressed in American newspapers that the great
down before British athletes who went to Amsterdam in
their casual way fresh from their occupations and with
no scientific training. ;"
Not closely parallel were some other Games, be-
ginning with the 1912 production at Stockholm (Jim
Thorpes Olympicsl The United States committee char
tered the S. Finland not only for the trip but for
a floating hotel during the stay in Sweden In his book
"The Olympic Pageant" Col Weyand observed:
" Living out of the city was inconvenient in some
respects of the boys desired to partake of Swedish
hospitality fully than feasible under the system
significant that of the officials only James Sullivan
remained aboard"
CIVIL STRIFE for want of better term, marked
the 1920 Games at Antwerp Belgium. The World War
troopshp Princess Matoika substituted for the warweary
Great Northern at the 18th hour too small for the
United States squad. The rough and nearly
everybody edge Instead of large hotels for the
athletes, barrackstype lodgings in schoohouSe
used.
Indignation meetings held 32 year old jumper
Daniel Ahearn dropped from the squad for breaking
training but reinstated when the team threatened
mutny discipline low morale!" read the
Weyard report TT small wonder the cream of the
United States athletic turned slightly and that
the mighty team not able to win track and field
events than the handful of Sheating athletes sent to
the games by little Finland"
But the United States team that fguratvely rocked
the boat the 1886 squad, 334-srong, that left
York for Berlin the S. S Manhattan, commercial
See WIN, LOSE OR DRAW, Page Az