BOXING IN GERMANY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10045, 16 May 1910, Page 4

BOXING IN GERMANY.

Although the Germans are popularly regarded as a somewhat warlike race, this estimate does not always apply to the individual units that go to make up the mass. From time to titte efforts have been made to introduce boxing into the country, but owing to ihe opposition of the Press and the police, the attempts have ended in failure, and boxing to-day is practically a forbidden sport. In Germany it is a serious offence to strike a man with one's fist, no matter what the grievance may be. Hence wordy contests seldom end in blows; but the police fear that the spread of a knowledge of boxing would result in many more arrests for brawling. Incidentally, also, it might lead the at present lamb-like Socialist to become more aggressive when the armed police suppress their demonstrations. The Pall Mall Gazette reports that the first boxing championship meeting took place recently in Berlin on a Sunday evening. There were four classes—feather, light, middle and heavy weights —and some novel features distinguished the contests. Owing to police orders the rules contained a notice that competitors must not hit too hard, or they would be disqualified, and the police there to see this . rule carriei cut. Below the stage sat the audience drinking the inevitable beer. When a small quantity of blood was drawn by a couple of rather spirited light weights, the promoter of the contests assured the ladies present that they must not mind the sight of a little red fluid, as it did not hurt the boxers. In riont of the audience was a band. The players were silent in the intervals, but as soon &i a bout began, the band struck up a martial or lively air, I and the result was that many of the combatants, feeling tbey were in a ball-room, introduced into their leg work a dancing motion which, though slightly comical to experts, delighted the spectators. Especially popular were the antics of one boxer who timed his hits to fit in with the music of the band, and thus brought down the house. One lightweight who hit his opponent such a smack on the nose that he hastily sat down on the floor was warned that the next time it happened he would be ruled out. A Berlin papsr J after the contests, denounced the sport as fit only for hooligans; Eng-1 lishmen could keep it, but Germans did not want such a brutal pastime.