The Olympic Games and the Duke of Westminster's Appeal

THE OLYMPIC GAMES. plan for the proper representation of the United Kingdom in all the competitions at the Berlin Games, to estimate the money that would be required, and, when that money was furnished, to see that it was properly spent in carrying out the plan formulated. It set itself at once to the task, any appeal to the public being necessarily held in abeyance until the Committee had com– pleted its plan and estimate of expense. SCHEME FOR NOVICE TRIALS. A preliminary announcement showing that the Committee was making some headway with its work was issued towards the end of May, 1913. Mr. Studd's letter, outlining the Special Com– mittee's scheme for Olympic Novice Trials, ,vas published in The Time.s of May 26 :- The " Special Committee for the Olympic Games of Berlin, 1916," have been considering schemes submitted to thrm by various associations governing o.thletic sports, but have been unable to give more than provisiono.l approva.J until the result of the o.ppeo.J which is to be made to the public is known. The Committee felt, however, t.hat it, was essential to to.ke immediate steps to nscertain if there was o.ny talent existing in the cow1try which might not be discovered in t ho ordinary course of events. They have therefore approved a scheme for Olympic ~ovico Trials which the Amateur Ath letic Association have undertaken to carry out. Funds have been privately subscribed for this special purpose. The scheme is o.s follows :- 1. To hold a series of competitions at Olympic distances and events, to be called " Olympic Novice Trials." 2. The events to be level and opon only to com– petitors over 17 years of age who have never won a prize at athletics---ordinary school competitions and junior sections of athletic clubs not to count o.s wins. 3. The entries in o.11 cases to be free, the prizes to consist of gold, silver, o.nd bronze medals of special designs not exceeding £2 in value. 4, These events to be allocated proportionately to sports meetings willing to accept the so.me in t he North, South, and Midland districts of England, and to Scotland o.nd Ireland. . 5. The distribution of the competitions to be left to the discretion of the vo.rious governing associa.· tions who are the best o.uthorities to deo.J with tho ~ matter_and most likely to know the events to o.llot to o.dvantage in special districts. It is suggested that 150 events should be held in ·England, and 50 each in Scotland and Ireland, making 250 novice trial events during the years 1913 and 1914. Tho cost of prizes would then amount to £500. The names of the novices showing promise to be carefully registered, the performances of the novices themselves to b4[l watched, and overy endeavour made to afforil them special training facilities. A report of the result of the trials will be made to the Special Committee in due course. GETTING TO WORK. Meanwhile the Committee found that unless the athletic year of 1912 was to be suffered to go by with nothing being done, some immediate expenditure was necessary ; and in advance of the issuance of the public appeal it found, on its own initiative, the money for this necessary expenditure. This was made known in the following announcement, given to the Press on July 18, 1913 (The Times, July 19) :- The Special Committee for the Olympic Go.mes at Borlin in 1916 appointed in March last ho.ve al– ready accomplished a good deal of prelimino.ry work. They have carefully considered the schemes sub· mitted to them by vo.rious governing bodies of sport, and are prepared to support them so far as funds mo.y be forthcoming. Pending the public appeo.l for funds which will shortly be issuecl the Special Committee have ob· taineci.private subscriptions to enable an immediate sto.rt to be made in severo.l directions. (1) Thoy have provided tho Amateur Athletic Assol'iation with £1,200. (a) £500 for Olympic Novice Trials with a view to discovering latent to.Jent. (b) £700 (i.) to assist affiliated clubs with prizes, provided they include approved scratch races at metric distances in their programme at an approved ontro.nce fee. Such races to include scratch races for those in receipt of a certain sto.rt and also scratch races for bo.ckmo.rkers ; (ii.) to provide tro.ining faci– lities at central quarters in London and other centres. Details of these trainin~ arro.nge– ments will be submitted and puolished o.t the earliest possible moment. (2) They hnve provided the Amateur Swimming Association with £300 to enable them to hold t ime tests in ea.eh of the five districts of the Association. A schedule of time in three grades has be11n fixed, and candidates who succeed in th(:;:e 1-~ests are to receive the gold, silver, or bronze badge of the Amateur Swimming Asso· ciation. (3) They have agreed to supplement the funds a.Hotted by the National Cyclists' Union for sending two representatives to the World'~ Cycling Championships to be held in Berlin next August, thereby enabling the N.C.U. to send o.dditional and younger riders to whom the experience would be valmible. On July 16, 1913, Lieutenant Stuart D. Blair, R.N., was appointed Secretary to the Special Committee at a salary of £500 a year. VIII.-THE APPEAL FOR £100,000. It will have been noticed that in mo.ny of the letters and articles already quoted the wider training for the Olympic Games was regarded apart from its immediate object, as, in a sense, a measure of national reform for the better physical education of the youth of the nation. We may conjecture that to men like Mr. Studd, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and other members of the Committee, it was this aspect of the matter which chiefly made it seem worth while to give the time and labour which they have given to the cause. At all event.,;i it has to be kept clearly in mind that the attainment of the larger end is one of the main objects of the present effort at reform. With this big national end in view the Committee approached its duties in a thorough and comprehensive spirit, and it was not until the middle of August that an outline of a scheme