Olympic Cavalcade

- SEVENTH OLY!yf-PIAD, ANTWERP, BELGIUM, 1920 I I-I I went to Antwerp as Special CorresP.ondent to the Daily Chronicle ana found myself sharing a table in an hotel with Gustavus Towns Kirby, President of the American Olympic Committee. Prior to -the opening of_the,. Games on 14 August,-r92o, by King Al-bert of the Belgians in the magnific_ent Stadium whic~ !3elgium had laid out in an -increClibly short spa<;e of tini€, the U.S.A. team had]Je_en given an official reception at Mar_J.hatt<JnDpera House, New York,_on 26 July. The -British teq.m had assembled at a L<;mdon railway station and departed quietJy"w!th no gflicial sena-off. - - . - - The U.S.A.} moreover, had as manager in 1908 and 1912Mr. M.J. Halpin, assisted by G. V. Brown: and Paul Piigri'ni~ tl:fe late selection who had won the 400 and 8oo,...met=r_es races at the Atheniaq Celebration in r9oi5, and a Board of sixteen professional coaches under the ChairmanSHip of Jack .F: M_oakley of the Unive-rsi!y of Cornell. _ -~- - _ The British quarters ~in Antwerp were not on:e whit be!!er>th_an those about which tile Americans complained so bitterly,-~but t?ings weJ?-t better in our quarters -than ih_- th~irs; I fancy; -thanks w the firm. -liandling of Brigadier-General R. J.- Kentish, C.M:G., D.S.O. __ · - "' Qn the Sunday preceding the opening-of the Games there was a'Requiem - Mass ·in Antwerp _ Ca~hedfal' for all the athletesJallen in the recent war. It ~ was taken by Cardinal-Mercier, who sat at the King's left hand during the subsequent Opening Ceremony, ~nd was attended_by the competing sports- men ahd athleles of all nations and-a vast local concourse. - >? The Parade ·of Nations at the Opening of 1ehe Games was an inspiring _ S£ectacle and, thanks to Colonel Kentish, the British .team was far sinarler than ilie collection. of athietes, each -turned out according to his own fancy, that we had seen_at pre'(ious Olympiads. The P~rade was l~ct bythe_Greeks, whose land-·was the ._original borne --of tne Olympiads. Then followed the . teams of the natiQns in _<tlpliabetical order. And as the wat was just:over, many of the. officiais 'at the'liead dfeach national team were-still in uniform, as were-~lso the Servi:ce members of the l2:.S:A. Olympic ;:eam_and the st_e~- helmeteel Belgian-solqiers, whp were to fire_ a salut~ and release the _f)igeons,_ when the King sliould declare the GalJles open~ =Round-tli.e 400 metres tr1fck march_ed_ the 'teams,.:each saluting J:he King of the-Belgians as the Royalloge- -~ was pass~d. Tbe J3ritish te_am, led:" by tne be~~e( o( the l!hio~- Flag, the Band-of the Worcestershire Rc:giineni and Brigadier-General R. J. Kentish, C.M.G., D.S.O., were dressed in l51ue bJaz_ers ~ancl whiteflannel trousers and, marching -~martly, created a favoural5k- i'mpression~ _-There- were, in ·-that Parade, plenty of women Gompetitors, too, equally smartly turned_o?-t, and some also in their national costumes to supplia dash 6f colour. Finally--the -· hhole_Parade ass~mbled fadng the_ ~oyal box. 4 fanfare was sounded- by t e trumpeters, a salute fired_, ~th.e,. ptgeons re1eased and the Games wete declared open by King A1Bert and.ble-ssed by Cardinal Mercier. An Olympic ~ Hymn was.sung By a_great-Swedisli choir. - - -::~ - - ~ _ _Tl:!e guns thundered, the Olxmpic Flag brok'e at tli.e-mast-heaa, there ..... - -- ~ ;..;::