Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 304, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1913 — TO POSTPONE OLYMPIC DATE [ARTICLE]

TO POSTPONE OLYMPIC DATE

American Team Would Be Harftflcapped by Early Opening on July 1—1916 Gamtea Will Be Close.

James E. Sullivan, American Olympic commissioner, has announced that he would request the German Olympic committee, on behalf of the United States team, to postpone the opening of the Olympic games at Berlin in 1916 at least one week. According to word received from Berlin, the open--ing events in the track and field program are set for July, 1. This*, would prove a handicap to the American team, according to Mr. Sullivan, since it would require the United States representatives to sail before the closing of the American colleges and universities, from which many members of the 1916 team are expected to be recruited. In discussing the conditions Mr. Sullivan said:

“It was the original Intention of the German Olympic committee to open the track meet about the middle of June. When I was abroad last summer I explained the situation from an American standpoint and requested a later date. The German committee evidently made a concession to us, but, then, to open the games on July 1 will work a hardship to our team in 1916. The Stockholm games began on July 6, and a similar date at Berlin would be far more acceptable. Close to 50 per cent, of the team will be graduated in the* spring of that year. In many cases it would be impossible for them to leave college before June 15 or later.

( “The games of 1916 will be closer and harder to win than ever before, and no team of the size of the American aggregation will have to travel the distance that ours will be obliged to undertake, 'that extra week means more to the American competitors than to any other country interested in the Olympic games, and I feel sure that when the conditions are understood fully by the German committee the concession will be granted. "According to the presenF plans of the American Olympic committee the team, which will consist of about 150 athletes, will be quartered in some Suburban hotel, near Berlin, during the games. Incidentally it may be stated that the team will not be taken to Europe in a specially chartered steamer, as was the case in 1912.”