Olympic Cavalcade

6o OLYMPIC CAVALCADE each ofthese separate hooks ofrules have·heen drawn up, translated into French and German and circulated in each ofthe competing countries." The drafting of rules and regulations was to cause muc;:h friction, not a little discontent and numerous complaints as to their interpretation. What, for example, is the meaning of the word 'country'? In the Olympic sense it is "any territory having separate representation on the International Olympic Committee, or where no such representation exists, any territory under one and the same sovereign jurisdiction". _ In Regulation 20, also, it stated that: "Where two or more countries form part of the same sovereign state, a natural-horn, or folly-naturalized, subject or citizen of that sovereign state may represent as a competitor in the Olympic Games either the country in which he was horn or that in which he hahitually resides." This, as I see .it, set a poser for the Irish-born athletes who had worked such marvels for America; and many great athletic emigrants from other countries, such as Germany, Finland and Sweden, who had later arrived in the States. In connection with the IVth Olympic Games these regulations were to cause grave troubles. To start with the Finns had a grievance. They carried no banner in the big parade of nations, because Rus~ia had insisted, through diplomatic channels, that they must carry a Russian flag or carry none at all. The Southern Irish were displeased when they were told that they would have to compete as parts of the British team and that any victories they scored would be credited to Great Britain as a whole. Another cause of very-natural dissatisfaction, where numerous nations were involved, was the placing of all contests in the Stadium and elsewhere under the absolute control of the different athletic and sporting associations representing the particular sport concerned which was responsible for their management. It is not fitting that at International contests all the officials should be supplied by the Host Nation. It is ridiculous to remember, con– sidering the much greater reputation than ours of U.S.A. in track and field athletics, and that of Scandinavia-in events which the English clearly did not understand-that none but British Judges officiated at the IVth Olympic Games. But the beginning of a better state of things was in sight and that Olympiad brought it definitely into being. Meanwhile, it will be as well to clear the air as we go along. ' Attention has been drawn to the fact that after the first of the Modern Celebrations at Athens in 1896, the second and third Festivals degenerated into side-shows to big International Trade Exhibitions~ The same thing was to happen again in 1908, mainly, as I see it, because it was, and still to a great extent is, an accepted principle of English life that such enterprises as the Games should be carried out by private enterprise without any sort of