SPLENDID CRITIC.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1545, 14 September 1912, Page 12

SPLENDID CRITIC.

THE LETHARGY OF ENGLAND. [Edited by "Mercury."] The Critic Ycept "Strephon." Of late "Mercury" has quoted "Strephon" of tho Manchester "Athletic Times" considerably with regard to Olympic matters. Thi9 has been done so that his,readers can get a glimpse of tho reasons for England's failures in the past at the Games and 'of the remedies for these failures as proposed by the nioro progressive of her athletic experts. Among theso so-called -radicals "Strephon" has taken a leading position. Ho attended the recent Stockholm gathering—he saw; how the English athlete was hampered in his efforts by the lack of system and organisation under which he had been developed, and he published his convictions as to tie superiority of the methods adopted by the foreigner in general and the American in particular. Some of his views have appeared in these columns—it is proposed now to make just this ono further selection from the English expert's review—his idea of tho manner in which the highest athlete can be sent to compete at the Games equipped at least as well as are his opponents from other lnnds. First "Strephon" makes his point: If our men must compete let them compete on equitable or something like equitable terms with the other nations. What is the use of telling a man he hns got to go to Stockholm merely a day or two before the time of his departure? The arrangements made for the travelling and the ar- ■ rangements made for the training of the British team were not creditable to the authorities. The whole thing was botched from the very process of organisation to the completion of the mission of failure.

"Not Even the Little Sons of the Colonies Can Save Her." Then he suggests a solution of the difficulty as follows:— Well, then, are we to have a repetition of this absurd experience in tho spring of 1916? I believe there will be a .supplementary meeting at Chicago in 191-t. Aro we to be represented there? Probably we shall not, and nobody will object, if a great effort is made to revivify British athletics before Berlin in 1916. Unless serious attempts aro at once made lo reform our notions of competition and of training we may just as, well stay at home as send a team to Germany, and this is the idea which should imbue every athletic legislator—at once. Procrastination will bo fatal. The first thing to bo read is the pulso of the athletic community. Is it tho wish, not of the A.A.A. or the S.A.A.A. or the LA.A.A. official?, but of the majority of the clubs that radical changes should take place in the control of athletic sport? Is the time meet for a proper appeal to the nation for financial support of a scheme for athletic development? Do the clubs approve of a plan for tho appointment of professional trainers in the various countries, and for the systematic training of our athletes, as is done in other lands?

Alternatively—does the present stale of affairs suit? Are the old-fashioned ideas of amateurism nnd of (he training of the athlete suitable to modern exigencies? Ts it better to remain in the rat than to move with tho times? If Ihe former set of queries are approved headway can at once be made; if tho latter series of question? ore answered in the affirmative then farewell to the reputation of athletic England. Not even tho little sons of the colonies can save her. The Period of Decadence. With the Empire team idea "Strophon" has little sympathy. He considers England has enough to do to put her own house in order and says that he is not alone in,this opinion. He writes: And now to some other views. I had chats during recent days with gentlemen who are very keen on athletics—one of them has seen the palmy days as well as the period of decadence; another has been through the championship mill time n"nd ngain; and still another is one of our most prominent officials. Every one of them- is aererd upon one, thingthere must be athletic reform nnd domoftie reform before any thought ran lx> bestowed upon colonial policy. Which lw<ars nut pro 11, v thoroughly whnt "Mercury" has written in these columns U|H»!i (ho same mailer.