Olympic Cavalcade

THE FIRST H!ATUS competitions, are in fav;ur ofretiring from them altogether. But 1 am convinced that these gentlemen have not considered the who£e situation. It is easy to retire gracefUlly when you are as good as your rivals. It is another ma"tter to r_etire after a d-efeat. Such an action must infallibly be put down as the r;esult ofdespair, and why should we lay ourselves open to such an imputation wbe.n we have m-en who can t:etrieve the laurels if we can but get tb§m on an equality in teaching and training with their foreign antagonists? No department of National !ifc– stands alone, and such a climb down in sport as wquld be involvid by a·retirement from the Olympic Games would have an enervating- effect in every field of activity. . . . - - "There remains then only tlie one alternative, which is to take the matter more earnestly and work not only by~the light ofnature, but by the light,ofscience. _.;. "We have lots of undiscovered talent. That is certain. I { is not ime in a _ hundred of us wko eve! happens to_ ~ave our attention arawn s-tro"fgly to athletic sports. Among the odd ninety-nineJhere must be many who are n-qturaljumpers_-; sprinters or weight thro~ers. We -have to find them: Let wery country gentlemali who wants to help a good cause keep a few of_th~~impedimenta~ intthe house, lef him ca.St found in hi-?_ mine! as to his _neighbours ctn~pick the active y(Jungster -or the strong man of the vijlage. ThetJ;_ let him test t_hem and set them on the way~ in which-they sh-ould go. Tftat is~ ~~e w9y, and '!o~other, in-which ch_anfpiom a-r~ found. _. . . ~ ~ ~ - - " __ , - - - - "Ifwe are beaten because we -are_the worse dthletes we must smile and con~ _ gratulate the better men. But at least let us make _sure next time that our best men hcwe been found and brought. to the field. - - ~ ~ >,; ~- "Arthur 't~~n Dayje;:"' "President, _ '~English Amateur Field Events Association~'~::, - ~ ~ - . In ~paltling~~ Qfficial Athlet~c Almanac, U.S~~., anethecgi:eat-sp~rtsman sa1d· - - - - - • - - ;. ~ - ?RI "Let every boy or girl who ea,; run O! j11;mp; le; every mafk;man who can shoot pistol, rifle oi gun; let every fencer who.r_can use foil, auelling sword or _ sabre; -let every swimmer who knows"' the back stroke, breast stroke_ or crawl, ot _ who can do plain orfancy diving; let :every fo;iball man who 'can dodge; ~lo_/fc~ and kjck; let ~very oarsman who can use oars or sweei·~ lereY.ery_ tennis player- ~who can swing a rack~t and golf player who can ddve and putt, gird up his loins and go into !raining for these world contests for the benefit ofhimselfan'd the glory ofhis coimtry.-Let every sp_,ortsman who-loves sport for Sport's sake; let every patriot who would see his-country triumphz put his hand in his pocket and donate generous-ly tq_wards the expenses ofAmirica's participation in these Games. - ;..~ "Gustavus T. Kitby-, - -"Pre-sident, American Oljmpif Committee." . ""' - -*