ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1557, 28 September 1912, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

[BT "Mercukt."] THE EMPIRE TEAM-AND DREAM. Neville Hill Comes Back from the Wars. Tho Sydney "Referee" to hand this week contains' an interesting interview with Neville Hill, our Olympic Games representative, on his arrival in Sydney en route. from Stockholm to his home in Auckland. Our Men Not in It. Hill's description of men and matters have been most interesting. To begin with ho from the first mado it clear that on his present pace and style Ira would have little or no chance of winning against tho redoubtable Americans, even if at tho very top of his form—and he never got within cooee of his home form. But all tho same, he has learnt a lot and acquired much knowledgo in the fino points of race-running. As C. M. Ross was, to all intents and purposes, merely with the party on a holiday tour, Hill did not express any opinion about him in Olympic company, but of S. H. Poulter, he voiced the opinion that in no circumstances or under any conditions would tho Newtown runner havo the remotest chance of success in such a field of champions as seen at tho Stockholm "Marathon." He is game, resolute, and a keen enthusiast, but simply doei not possess tho necessary pace to Le able to live with such' men as M'Arthur, Gitsham, or Kolehmainen the elder. Of Murray, tho Now Zealander voices the opinion that his gait, although perfectly fair up to a certain point, directly ho begins to go extra fast bccomes extremely doubtful. He Re-Introduces the Team and. the Dream. Hill is immensely impressed with Jean Bouin, the Frenchman, and feels convinced that ho will turn tho tables on Hannes Kolehmainen, the redoubtable Finn. Going home with his head full of stories about the alleged wiles and tricks of the Americans, gleaned from English sources, he returns a firm believer in the toys from the United States. It is quite evident that tho Auckland crack prefers the Canadians and Americans to tho British. Like most of Australasian athletic visitors to England, he returns with no exalted opinion of English governing bodies or their methods, although Mr. Hill reports having met many line sportsmen and received much courtesy and attention from individuals. Hill describes . the races in graphic fashion. He thinks A. N. S. Jackson (United Kingdom) would not win in the 1500 metres again in the same company, not even if the race were run every day in the week. He' vividly describes tho methods of throwing the javelin and the discus, of hurdling,' pole vaulting; etc., by the various world's champions—and it has all been very interesting. t And, in conclusion,-he lias made it even more clear that it is a pure waste of time and money for, anyone in our track and field athletics to go to these Olympiads unless lio is a champion of champions, and one who has gone through the severest of tests—and even then, far more time is wanted in England before the. games tcommence. And, before finishing, let it .be said that Hill is the firmest of firm believers in the Empire team scheme.

And What Hinders this Imperial Team? So much for the "Referoe's" stoijy. Apropos of the last sentence—re tho Empire team ancl dream—there comes, from an English ' souroo, a corroboration of tho views as to the practicability of the Empire team scheme held and published by "Mercury." Some time ago I wrote: "Mercury" does not wish to belabour the distasteful subject of English mismanagement in athletics—and particularly Olympic athletic affairs—but, unfortunately, hero is good reason for believing that there is a great cause for complaint in this respect, and until this cause is removed, it is only reasonable to 6uppoM that athletic authorities in the .countries that would help to build upttorinbEmpire» 'team would look askance at any system that is likely to entangle their representatives in the English slough. And 1 at another time:—"Until England has put her own athletic house in order, and nas proved her capability of managing her own athletic affairs, the Overseas Dominions will naturally be loth to place their athletic destinies in her keeping. That is the obstacle that will need to be overcome before the Empire athletic team oan become un fait accompli, for, although, no doubt, it will be said that the Dominions will retain their voice on the Olympic management, there can be no question that if the" scheme were tried the direct control of the Empire team would lie in the hands of the English authorities —that is, in the hands of those accused by. an influential section of the English press of an incapacity and of a slackness of purpose that would be farcical were it not so humiliating to tho- prestige of English athletics." How Mr. P. A, Vailo Sees the Question.' In this opinion "Mercury" is supported by no less an authority than Mr. P. A. Vaile, the well-known writer on athletic matters, and author of "Wake Up, England." Unfortunately, Mr. Vaile's article is not before "Mercury," but in a summary thereof published in an Australian paper the following appears:—

There is, however, in Mr. Vaile's view, another and worse dufficulty to overcome, and 'that is that the athlete from the oversea Dominions does not trust the management of sport in England enough to commit himself to the tender mercies of those in authority at Home. Mr. Vaile proceeds to declare that the public at Home mistrusts the Ainatour Athletic Association, because they know that members of the A.A.A. are in the executivo of that bbdy simply because they' have axes to grind. How, then, lie asks, can it be expected that' athletes in the King's farioff Dominions will put their trust in the association?

He adds: "That is bad enough, but as a matter of fact I am well aware that the sliine of £ s. d; is very plentifully spread over amateur sport in England. This i 3 fnirly'well known throughout tlio Empire, and it is not likely until that reproach is removed that the oversea athletes are going to place their interests in the hands of those responsible for the management of sport in England. . . If there is going to be any attempt whatever to get together an Empire team, the blight of the quasi-amateur will have to be removed from amateur sport in' England. Furthermore, the oversea athleto has not too high an opinion of the methods adopted by English athletes in their preparation and in. other ways, and ho is well accustomed to the fact that the English athleto is always .prepared to assume his absolute superiority over the oversea production until he has been well thrashed by the latter." The Passing of a Champion. Ralph C. Craig, perhaps the greatest amateur sprinter of Ohe year, and winner of the 200 metres at the Olympic Games at Stockholm has announced liis retirement from the track. Before leaving America he stated that, win or lose, his Olympic appearance was to be his last, as the exigencies of his position as head of the scientific department of a big laboratory in Detroit prevented him giving much time to athletics. Commenting on Craig's retirement, v an American paper says:—No moro will the man from Detroit figure to clip a tenth of a second from a world's athletic record. Instead, lie will devote his time to clipping, a tenth of a ccnt. from the cost of producing castor oil. Sic transit gloria mundi'.