AMERICAN ATHLETES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1924, 5 December 1913, Page 3

AMERICAN ATHLETES.

LEADERS IN ATHLETIC SPORTS,

THE DOMINION TOUR.

■It is'/now nearly two years since a visit of a team of American athletes was first mooted, and the idea steadily developed until yesterday afternoon, when four of tho best of the rising generation of the United .States amateurs reached Wellington, under the management of Major Peixoltn, from San Francisco, by the steamer Tahiti. The visitors were met by officials of tho Now Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, and aro quartered at tho Empire Hotel. During thoir stay they aro being looked after bv Mr. AV. R. Talbot (secretary of tho'.X.Z.A.A.A.),' and Mr._ J. C. Cusack, who is to manage the New Zealand tour,

Tho Manager Interviews^. Mr. Peixotto, when seen in the afternoon, stated that on tho whole the team had arrived in good condition. Of course the sea voyage was hard on them, but they'had not suffered much from seasickness after tlm first day. On the way over they had made good use of the skipping rope and other forms of exercise, including cricket. Every day they wero out in their running clothes for a run around. The team was practically a representation of tho rising generation, and the oldest member of it was only 21 years of. age. None had yet bee:i to the Olympic Cames, but they wero tho kind of men who might he selected for the ' next Games. ' They will all bo out at Waikanae to-morrow, but do "not expect to t.triko top form for -a week or so. Nor do they Know now they will shape on tho turf tracks here, as all their running in America has been on cindc-.: ■ tracks, tho only sports on turf there being baseball and football. The Lecture Scheme. In connection with the series of lectures to be given in New Zealand, Mr. Peixotto gave an outline of what is being done for sport for. the rising genera, tion.in the linked States. Tliey have an idea there that the recreation timo of the people is as important as tho timo during which they aro working. Most people who got into trouble, did so in their time of leisure and therefore it was a duty to find them suitable recreation. In America they were trying to put down bad social .tendencies and °to plage gcod healthy spoii within the reach of'everybody. To this end they were developing throughout their liigh schools a scheme to enablo tho largest possible number of boys and | girls to compete in tho most suitable forms of. sport., and..so .benefit, their health."'- ''cities' Play-ground Commissions wero established for this purpose; in others it was left to tho Park Board; in others to the education authorities, 'and in others to Sports Commissions. They had also a Playground arid Recreation Association of America and he was their special representative ;on tho' present .trip. •'. The headquarters of this association were in New jYork, while it had- branches all , over America. In San Francisco, a Public Schools Athletic League. had . been established under the Board of Education and tho endeavour ■ was to developi'sports of all kinds' for as largo a, nyrabcf of-'children' as possible. In ths.Cfity of Now York, where the Pub:lic'vSchool Leaguo developed, out of • 200,000 children, some 155,000 boys and girls, wero taking part in athletics. Tho movement had given rise to a number of new games, as occasion demanded, ; ;and of thcso Mr. Peixotto~uiil sneak • in his lectures. . . "*""*,*• *'

Personnel of the Team, -The members of the team arc "as follow :'— ID. R.' Caughcy (California).—Shot put", hammer throw, disciis throw, Ukiah, California, student at tho Ukiah High School;' intorscholastic champion of the United States in shot put. Best records': lGlb.shot put, 45ft. ojin., at Santa Rosa, California, April 21, 1013; 161b. hammer throw, 142 ft. 3in.; discus throw, 122 ft. Tin., at University of California, April 19, 1912. George L. Parker, sprinter, Stockton, California, student at tho Stockton High School, member Olympic Club of San Francisco. Best records: 100 yds., 10 sec, at University of California, April 19, 1913; 200 yds., 22soc, at Portola Meet, Stadium, San Francisco; 440 yds., 52scc, at Stanford ' University, April 12, 1913.

James A.' Power, half-mile and mile, Boston, Massachusetts, member Boston Athletic Association, New England and Canadian champion one mile; holder of New England Association mile record, 4min. 17 2-sscc.; Pacific Association record 4miu. 18 2-osec. Best records: One mile, 4min. IT 2-usec, made iii Boston, July 4, 1913. Half-mile, lmin. 57 2-osec, made at New York, May 2G, 1013.

Rurie R. Templcton—l2oyds. hurdles, high jumn, polo vault, javelin throw, and broad .jump, I'alo Alto, California, student at Leland-S'tanford Junior University. Bps't records:'l2llyds. hurdles, lo 3-oscc, at Stanford Olympic Club meet, March, 1913; high jump. 6ft. 2in.; Stanford University of California meeting. April 18, 1913; pole vault, lift. iOin., at University of .Southern California, Los Angeles, March 29, 1013; broad jump, 22ft. Jin., at Universitv of .Southern California, March 20, 1913.

Eustace- M. Peixotto (manager), supervisor of athletics, Sail Francisco Public Schools Department and dirertor of the Public Schools Athletic League; president Bay Cities Physical Education Association; chairman Boys' Section Recreation Leslie of San Francisco; member Board of Management of tho.'Pacific'Association A.A. Union of United States; formerly, amateur sports writer San • Francisco '.'Evaniirter," and President Examiner Boys' Baseball League. CIVIC RECEPTION. SPEECHES OF WELCOME. A civic reception was accorded the visitors at tho Council Chamber, Town Hall, just after 5 o'clock last evening, when the Mayor (Mr. i. P. Luke) presided oven an attendance of nearly a hundred ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Luke expressed very great pleasure in 'extending "a, right royal,.welcome to our cousins from across the sea."' Ho assured tho visitors that we had young men hero who would give, them'.'a.good, go" in the differentevents. -11l this voting countty we felt that iii'maiiy--things -we. could copy their ideas',in the United States, sometimes to abetter advantage than the ideas of the Old Country. This particularly applied.to,some of their sports and 'games, New Zealand at tho present time was passing through a phaso of a misunderstanding,, but ho could assure ■ -tho-'..Visitor's' "that' "that would make'M)6 ,'difference., to. their travels, and they would receive as hearty a welcome from some' of those on striko as they would from the other side. Tu the name of tho City Council and the citizens he welcomed them to the city, and promised Ihcm i'reo use of tho trams should they wish to view the iltiforp.nt parts of tho city and tho municipal undertakings. Letter from Prime Minister. The Prime' Minister (the Hon. W. F. Mussey), who could not bo present, sent- a letter, which was read by tbo Mayor. In this letter Mr. Massey said: "[ will be. glad: if you will convey to jnur association (X.Z.A.A.A.) tho thanks of my colleagues and myself for

4h& invitation to the Mayoral reception ... but I much .'regret that, owing to Parliament sitting, it is impossible for the Ministry to ho represented at the. function. I shall tales an opportunity of extending a personal welcome to the visitors (possibly in tho form of' a reception at Parliament Buildings). If it can bo arrar.gtvl for myself and members of the Ministry to bo present at the sports, wo shall be very (.leased to do so."

Letters of apology were also received from -Mr. H. M. Gore, president of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, mid Mr. C. (•'. Wilson, chairman of the Wellington Cricket Association.

Sporting Men's Welcome. Mr. A. Marryatt, president of the Council of the 'New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, described the visit of the Americans as a "red letter day" in the history of New Zealand sport. He expressed the opinion that tho athletes tint had now arrived wero a better lot than had ever previously hecn seen here, and in saying this he was not forgetting the visit of Slirubb and Duffy. This tour of the Americans would, he hoped, he of lasting benefit to the sport in tho Doir m ion. Councillor L. M'Kenzie also spoke a few words of welcome. •Mr. W. 11. Ataek,mi old athlete; Mr. Atkins, president of the Wellington Centre, of the. New Zealand Swimming Association: Mr. 0. N. Goldie, of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association ; -Air. (!. S. Hill, chairman of the Royal Life Saving Society; Mr. I!. Keesing, of tho Olympic Council; Mr. A'. D. Bayfield, of the New Zealand Rowing Association; Mr. T. S. Ronaldson, president of tho Wellington Football Club, and ! president of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Association; anil Mr. J. 11. Pollock, vice-president of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, also spoke. Thcso Outstretched Hands.

Mr. Eustace M. Peixotto, manager of the team, in reply, remarked that, although New Zealand "was said •to be about 6000 miles from where they had come, when they arrived here, saw all these hands outstretched to welcome them, and heard all these cordial speeches, it did not seem so far after all. Men of the. Fast were not after all so different from men of the West, and they of the Northern Hemisphere wore not so different to the people of the ymtli. They had tho same ideas—the same, aspirations —and these interchanges of visits would mean that they would le.irn lessons in a way that they could never learn thorn from books. They had come hero in the name of good, clean sport, and they were going to do their best to win. In turn they looked to the sportsmen hero to give them the best that was in them, and if the athletes Jiere could beat thorn, they (tho Americans) would take off their hats. (Applause.) The Americans, strangely enough, liariniot a, good name in.sport, nicy"had good records, it was true, but yet they were not always looked upon "as good sports. Ho did not think this attitude towards them was justified, and they wero going to provo that it was not. (Applause.)

Friands From Across the Sea. In the second place, they bad conic here in the name of amateur sport, and as good amateurs they placed themselves in the hands of the New Zealand Association. Thirdly, they had come here as cousins—come to extend the hand of brotherhood and to compete with the athletes here as friends from across' the sea. (Applause.) Personally ho felt something'like an impostor on the present trip, for all the hard work had been done by Mr. Unniack. When the latter found., within the last couple of (lavs, that he was unable to come, ,oi), Mr., Jpi.'sJ otto, who-packed' his' lifts at two days'■ notice, arid so, without having done any of the work, camo to have all the pleasures of this trip. He oould assure tiie gathering that thcre'was iiota member of the. team who was not touched by the heartfelt, words spoken that afternoon and ho only hoped that the visit would conic up,to the expectations of all. (Applause.) At the call of the Mayor, three cheers wcre>iven for the visitors.

AT THE BASIN RESERVE. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the visitors, accompanied by Mr. Cusaek and Mr. Talbot, visited tho Basin Reserve for a run, and were- there met by several of the leading local athletes. Caughoy, who vras first to appear in running outfit,' indulged in practice at shot-potting, hammer-throwing, and putting the discus. Ho is tho shortest and youngest member of the team, and shows tremendous muscular development. In one attempt with tho lGlb. shot, he recorded nearly 44ft. He afterwards did a little easy running with tho other members of the team, who all appear as if they will not require much work to he at their best. Templcton is an ideal stamp of hurdler with a beautiful easy action, but he did not show iiis paces over tho "slicks.;' FUTURE MOVEMENTS. To-day the Americans will be tho guest:; of the. New Zealand Athletic. Association, at the Empire Hotel. Tomorrow lliey go to Waikauao. to attend a sports gathering, and they will return to tho city on .Sunday evening. On Tuesday Maior Poixotto will lecture, at St. Patrick's College. That. liipdit the Sports Federation is to extend (hem a welcome, and on Wednesday the visitors proceed south.