Olympic Cavalcade

LOS ANGELES, 1931 I7I The fact that the Games were to be held on the shores of the Pacific Ocean for the first time in Olympic history set a_ problem for many nations who had previously been able to participate at minor cost when the Games were held in Europe. These problems were, liowever, finally overcome, largely througn the interest and work of the U.S.A. Press Department, which disseminated information and literature to the World Press. The regular service the Press Department -provided was greatly welcomed by special sports correspondents throughout the world and did much to encourage _ and keep informed the whole world as to what was going forward at Los Angeles and the standard of cpmpetition which the competing nations would be up against. On I February, 1930, suitably far in-advance of the Celebration, Mr. W. M. Garland, as President, signeCI invitations, which were sent by the ~ Organizing Committee to all countrie~ in gen~ral inviting their participation_ in the Games of the Xth OJympia~l. - · - The progress of the preparations for the Xth-Olympiad were reported– by the American representatives to the Olympic Congress held in Berlin ih · May, 1930, in accordance with the customary procedure that such a Congress is held in a designated city approximately t:Wo years before the Games of each Olympiad. This procedure ensured that host countries should fully undertake their tasks so that there should be no repetition of incidents such as the failure of Italy to carry out the Games- of 1908 which they had accepted for Rome, hut which were actually held in London. The U.S.A. Committee felt from the beginning, that proper housing,- - - cuisine and general accommodation for the, ?thletes while in Los Angeles Were matters of the greatest importance. This decision l~d to the planning and laying out of the Olympic Village, -which·becaine subsequently an out– s.ta?ding .feature of the -Games. Everything ·possible was done to reduce the livmg costs for all participants, who were offered all the facilities and advan- ta~es of the Olympic:, Village at a rate of 2, dollars per day. This, together · With reduc~d transportation rates, made it possible to suggest a budget of . JOO dollars or less for each participant from Europe, and this covered his JOurney to Los Angei~s, his stay in the city for thirty days and his ren:rn home. This_ brought great relief to the minds of some foreign nat10ns who hacl- been calculating on estimates averaging .as- Yiigh -as 1500 dollars. ~ · - Incidentally, the.carrying out of that p1an of bringing nations tog~ther to shal'e a common life under what was ·virtually a single roof proved to the-· ; World that Olympism is an instrument for physical and cultural advance– ment which is something stronger than the p·rosaic prejudices of race, creed or colour. Upon his return from the Berlin Congress the General Secretary for~e<:l F~ Executive Council of~~ve, comprising the heads of sev~ral departments: mally a Control Committee of three was set up to co-ordmate the work of