The Olympic Games and the Duke of Westminster's Appeal

'J.'Ill!J OLYMPIG GAMJ!JS. 7 of the universities), while :my talent that a boy may po sess for games is certain to be brought out and developed , hardly any in– ducement is held out to him to find out what he is worth on the running path or at the jumps. "\¥ hen we produce, as not seldom we do pro– duce, an athlete of the first rank, it is more or less by accident. The circumstances are different on the Continent and in the United States. And if we neglect track athletics, still more do we ignore gymnastics ; and in the Stockholm Stadium, at the march-past of all the nations, it was impossible not to contrast the rather shambling, motley appearance of the mass of the British competitors with the magni– ficent marching and truly superb physique of the bands of trained gymnasts from, especi– ally, the Scandinavian countries, and with the smart and businesslike look of the American contingent. " We may believe, and we may rightly believe, that the discipline of our games is better for us as a people than the discipline of the track or the gymnasium. Just as we should be sorry to see our young officers forsake their polo and hunting for the pretty tricks of ' prize riding,' so it may well be that a hundred foot– ball players or cricketers are likely to be better men for the Empire's work than an equal number of the best trained gymnasts ; and most of us know from our own observation that the development of muscle by no means breeds either initiative or resourcefulness in a man. The most beautifully developed gym– nast, indeed, is often peculiarly gauclte and inept at everything but his own speciality. "But we are now, however, considering the world's opinion and our standing as compared with other nations in the OJympic Games. . . . More and more the nations of the world will base their estimates of the physical capacity of any people on its success as measured by its standing in points scored in the Olympic arena. Nor will much account be taken of the character of the competitions in which the points ~ r_ed._ A_ certain especial kud,os will always attach to the winning of a particular event, as of the ' Marathon ' Race, but in general the peoples will look only at results and will aim, each in its degree, to pick up all s~ch unpom1idei;ed, trifles as the odd points in minor competitions. What will ultimately ~ reQ,\tonec:I to .Bt natior\'s crajit is i~ stan~g m j;o~\ PQm~ m the whole m!)_eting. Goon MATERUL. .':m. the_ backgrou~d, of course, is our :µatlona\ ~mpqna.~ion ~ sul>Ject oqrselyes to disciP,J.iq~. The ~~es~µess, for iI¥i~ce, witq which the ~WElli!l& ~ ~ peop\e aJ_"e tl'll:wiug, or with W'1iflh · th~ 4w.eqcalll! µa.vet set tµ\)mselves to confoi;m t~ Q~~P.!C standa1tl~, is perhaps of a type W W~~µ ?~ geaj~ ~s ~9.~ ~P,tab~e. Pe.rli.apf\ \V~ &_\'!3 w.~g ~\\~~ SO 1t ~ho~q l'ep:\~jn. ,~w of us would care to see England take it& games quite in the American spirit, and the admira- tion which we feel for those SJ.)lendid, bands____ _ of Scandinavian gymnasts is not ~gled, in the case of most of us, with a certa~ sha.~ed. contempt. But the choice is now plainly before us whether we shall hold to our present ways or whether we shall go with the rest of the world. It is, as the Americans would say, 'up to us' to decide. We h9ive bee.µ pre-eminent in the field of sport in the p~;,t ; but a new tribunal with new standards has been set up, and if we cling to our old tradi– tions, we must be content to be ranked by that t ribuna.l not first or even second amo.ng the nations. If we would hold our pla~e we mus~ conform to the new standards, adopt t~e :µew methods, a.nd meet the world on even terms under the new conditions. We may qu,estion if the Olympic Games are good either in their influence on the spirit of sports~anship or in their effect on interna.tional relations of a la.rger kind. We may regret that the Ga.II\~ were ever instituted. But, if we withdrew from them now, we should inevitably be regarded a.s having done so in petulance and under the mortification of defeat. We can continue to compete in our present random way, and be satisfied to let the world think of us as onlv 'second-raters' in the field of sport. . 0 1 •'we can set ourselves to take the Games seriously, and, by proper training, with enthusia~m and better management, bring our men and teams to the post in something like the condition and spirit which characterizes the Americans. " That we have at least as good material as any country is universally acknowledged, and in no quarter more readily than among the trainers and ell.--perts of the oth!)r countries. But if we are to hold our own that material must be differently used. We must search out our best men, not at random, but system– atically and continuously, and see that they are properly trained and coached. We must --turn- attention- to-many- sports vhich, ve--uo·=-------~ neglect. We must have a competent and authoritative body in charge of the machinery for the selection and preparatio~ of our repre– sentatives, which will see that they a.re put into the Stadium in a condition to do them– selves justice. To attain all this wilf require a much larger popular interest in the Olympic Games than has been a.wakened so far ; and that popular interest must be made manifest in the subscription of ample funds." (The Ti.mes, July 27, 1912.) THE MATTER QF fuNns.. In tµe Parliameptary Report in The Times of March 24, 1906, appeared the following paragraph:– The CllAN:OE!",LOR of the EXCHEQUER, replying .to Mr· 'V~-r:r~ ~ho ¥-!il¥1 w~etJ\er,, m v:\eV\' of vti!l t~t