ATHLETICS

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1752, 17 May 1913, Page 12

ATHLETICS

: (By Mercury.) ONCE MORE MR. UNMACK. American Invasion now a Certainty. It was cablcd some few weeks since that the American Athletic Union had sanctioned the tour of Australasia by a team of American athletics, and that a party of crack "all-rounders" would leavo the Pacific Slope in November next. At this time no reply had been received by the N.Z.A.A.A. to the invitation which it had dispatched to our American cousins on behalf of tlio Australasian Union, and so the matter has been, held over awaiting confirmation. This has now come to hand, and bv this samo mail have arrived eomo San Francisco papers dealing with the matter. . One of these, the "San Irancisco Call, -makes quite a feature of the affair, and under the heading "Yankees will Invado Australia" prints a big picture of Mr. Wm. Unmack with tho following letterpress : Tlie invasion of Australia by an American track anil field team has been conceived before in California, for in December of last year all arrangements had been made for such an invasion by a squad o-f Pacific coast stars, under the tutelage of William Unmack. At the last minute, beforo tli/> vessel sailed, December 11, 1912, < tlie voyage was called off by Mr. Un- ■ mack, for reasons not essential to this S 'tlic Amateur Athletic Union of tho United Slates, America's supreme governing body of amateur athletics, through its secretary and treasurer, James E. Sullivan, now in our midst, has received an invitation from the New Zealand A.A.U. to send ail allAmerican track and field team to New Zealand and Australia to coin polo against tho cream of the athletes of these lands of the Southern Cross. Mr. Sullivan has placed entirely in Mr. Umnack's hands the organisation, development, and management of an all-American track and field team for tho invasion in question.

It g«® on to say:—Mr. Unmack is an Australian by birth. He was born in Brisbane, but will not tell his afje. Now, however, he is an American citizen, and as such will invade his mother country with the best athletes that America can produce—which means the best tho world can produce. And What are Wc Going to Do? Now that tho official sanction to the project lias been accorded by the American governing body, matters at this end will need immediate attention. There is plentv to do. Tho co-operation and support of tli'3 Australlian State association* has yet to be obtained, as this tour, unlike'that which su nearly materialised la-t soiisiin, is not a nonunion affair. The X.Z.A.A.A. has merely In !i acliug a- g()-lx'l.v.-een in the matter oil behalf of Ihr> Australian Union, and -o far praciit\i|!v ii:, ci:usid;rat:aii has licen giv:n Iho project at all bT tho affiliated associations.