THE NEXT OLYMPIAD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17690, 30 July 1919, Page 8

THE NEXT OLYMPIAD

TO BE HELD AT ANTWERP. REPRESENTATION FOR NEW ZEALAND. Although, as I liave mentioned on several occasions (says Mr R. Coombes in tho Sydney Referee), it has been dooided that'the Seventh Olympiad will be held under the auspices of the Belgians at Antwerp in 1920, it was only by the last mail from Switzerland that official word on ■ the subject came to hand from Bapon Piorre do Couborti-n, founder and president of the International j Olympic Committee. And incidentally by j the same mail came full particulars of the j meeting of the 1.0.C., held at; Lausanne i early in April, at which the decision to hold j the games in 1920 was arrived at, and also English and French press reports of more ! jor less sharp criticism of the proposal. I i However, before dealing with the Seventh j Olympiad, it appears desirable to throw ! some light on the International Olympic •Committee, its personnel, and its workings, because a considerable amount of misconception on the subject seems to prevail. HOW COMMITTEE IS ARRANGED. The International Olympic Committee is a body of specially chosen representatives of practically every civilised nation in the world, although at the present juncture the representatives of Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey aro debarred frotp taking their seats, whilst no competitors from the nations named can compete at Olympiads— not for a period, at anyrate. In each country where there is a representative on the International Olympic Committee there is or, should bo, an Olympic Council, whose duties are to equip and despatch teams to the Olympiads—the representative on tho 1.0.C. is merely the channel by which or through -whom, all communications between the said council and 1.0.C. pass. The representative of a country on tho 1.0.C. is not appointed by the Olympic Council of that country, is he answerable to that council. He is specially chosen by reason of what are believed to be spccial qualifications and personality, and then a mail vote is taken amongst the whole of the members of the I.O.C.—and the vote decides whether ho is elected 1 or rejected. AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.

To illustrate the position from the standpoint of men, matters, and events near to home, lot me mention that for some 25 years past Australia and New Zealand combined, under the designation of Australasia, have had a representative on the 1.0.C.. And so long as the commonwealth and the dominion wero combined they were represented by a combined team, with any points scored by either Australians or New Zeaianders going down to the credit of Australasia. Each State (or the majority of thorn) has its Olympic Council, as lias New Zealand, and tho whole are federated under the designation of the Oljropic Federation of Australia and New Zealand. On the 1.0.C. determining to hold the Seventh Olympiad at Antwerp in 1920 (I was, of course, invited to attend the meeting at Lausanno last April, which came to such finding) word had to be sent to each member of the 1.0.C., who, lu turn, had to inform tho Olympic Council of his country. I was not present at the • Lausanne meeting, but recorded a vote in favour of Belgium getting the first Olympiad aiter the war ended. As before mentioned, official word came to hand by the last mail, and as the representative of Australia and New Zealand on the 1.0.C., "I at once officially notified Mr A. G. de L. Arnold, hon. secretary to our Olympic « Federation, with the rcqudst that all State Olympic Councils within the federation be ! informed. NEW ZEALAND SEPARATES. By tbe same mail came word of an im- ' portant happening so far as New Zealand , is concerned. For some time prior to the ] war there had been made manifest a desire in the dominion —by a section of its [' sportsmen at any rate—that New Zealand J should separate from Australia in Olympic , matters. This desiro I conveyed to tho . president of the LO.C., with a strong rer commendation that New Zealand should [ be given .a representative of her own on I the 1.0.C. The representatives assembled | at the Lausanne conference agreed to the , iiugge^bion—and as a consequence Now , Zealand will have a separate representative

—a mail vote is being taken throughout the world,'enemy countries barred, on the question of an appointment at the present time. The consequences of this separation are that in future New Zealand must scleet and .equip her own team, and defray the expanses of same, while any points scored by dominion representatives at the Olympic games will be credited to New Zealand— and against other nations, including Australia. I may incidentally here mention that on receipt of this news word was at once despatched to Mr B. A. Guise, of Wellington, hon. secretary to tho New Zealand Olympic Council. MISCONCEPTIONS REMOVED. Having thus made , clear (or, at least. I hope so) the position of affairs in connection with Olympic matters, I may make a few remarks about the Seventh Olympiad to take place at Antwerp next year, and also about tho criticism levelled at tho decision arrived at. Such criticism as I have seen appears to be concentrated on the shortness of the time for preparation, and on a misconception of facts. For example, it is reported that at a meeting of the French Olympic Committee in Paris tho following resolutions \v ere caxried : — "That the French will not compete at an Olympiad where Germans, Austrians, Hungarians. Bulgarians, and Turks are afforded fellowship, such as the baron ,is said to favour. That" they will not accept an invitation to compete at Olympic games if that be issued by the International Olympic Committee on which delegates from enemy countries are seated. "That tho games should not be held before 1921, as there cannot possibly be sufficient tame to make tho necessary preparations among the Allies for such an important concourse." ENEMY COUNTRIES BARRED. Now, Baron Coubertin does not favour fellowship to our late opponents in the war —in tho course of a letter to me from Lausanne last December ho stated that they would not bo allowed to compete, whilst it is evident the representatives of enomy nations on the 1.0.C. cannot take their seats at present. With regard to tho time being too short

to allow of the successful revival of tho games taking place in IS2O. that is a matter of opinion—the Belgians don't think it too short at any rate, and their preparations are fax advanced. It may be, "and doubtless will bo, hard to get fully representative teams m tho cases of tho United Kingdom and Franco, but it appears to me that the best way to proceed is for all to do the best thc-y can, and accept the situation as it stands.

CEREGEN REBUILDS SHATTERED NERVES. In these days of montal strain and etress, probably tho gravjest nnd most neglected of human ailments in nervous weakness. It undermines tho constitution, and gradually 6aps tho vitality until life becomes just sa nightmare. ' Sleep, knits up tho ravelled sleeve of care," is wooed in vain, and the, sufferer tosses restlessly, to rise each morning unrefrcßhed. Your doctor will tell vera that this condition ia brought about by starved or shattered nerves. Ho will also tell you that you need a nerve food to buikl up tlia tissues. Ceregen will do this. It is used in the largo British military and naval hospitals in the treatment of shell-shock nnd other nervoue cases —surely sufficient testimony to its sterling qualities! From all chemis'ts, 2s 6d, 4s 6d, . 6s 6d, and 12s. —28