The Cruise of the Branwen

THE OLYMPIC GAMES In fencing, again, the mistake was made of ad– mitting to the jury professionals whose livelihood and reputation depended on the success of pupils who were competing; and the rules for fencing as at first drawn up were so inadequate that the British Olympic Council had to exercise its full influence, and produce several vital alterations in the code. In the end, the success of the English fencers was far greater than any of their com– patriots had imagined possible, and deserves re– membrance because no English team has done so well since our first team went out to Paris and beat the Belgians in 1903 ; and because it was some compensation in Athens in 1906, where a country which can go mad about football at home could send no amateur eleven for the Olympic Games, to find that England could do so well in a sport which is still comparatively young in this country, but which, thanks to the efforts of such organisations as the Sword Club and the Epee Club, is rapidly acquiring a wide and deep influence among athletic Englishmen. The questions raised by the merits of the fencing at Athens irresistibly lead us to the serious consideration of international juries. The prin– ciple of selecting a juror " to act for his country," or" to safeguard the interests of his compatriots." sounds well on paper; but human nature is not perfect enough to produce satisfactory results from it in practice; for it ends in a juror being honestly blinded to his countrymen's defects, and sincerely speedy in discovering the short- 98