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Show GREAT INTEREST IM Absence of Olympic Games at Athens Means Much to Northern Meet. TROUBLES IN GREECE REASON FOR POSTPONEMENT Greeks Anxious for Special Festival for Themselves Every Four Years. BY RICHARD DAHLGREN. Special Cable to Tho Tribune. LONDON. March 19. The absence of the Olympic games at Athens, Greece, this year ought to mean greater Interest In the classic " contests when thoy arc held In tho north In 1912. Tho games this year did not promise very much, owing to tho absenco of American and other representatives, while the political situation In Grccco Is so unsettled that It would have been risky to hold tho meet there. Australia and South Africa had gotten the furthest along In their plans for representation nt Athens and when cablegrams were sent goneral regret re-gret was expressed ovor tho calling off of tho meotlng. Tho Olympic - games wore revived In Athens In 1S9IJ. They wero hold In Tarls In 1900 and at St. Louis, Mo., In 1904. In 190S thev were held In London. In 1912 they will bo held In Stockholm, and preparations are already under way for this meeting. The Greeks wero very dcslrlous of a special Olympic festival every four years for themsolvcs and held ono Jn .1906. (, ' Cricket Team Sails. The English cricket team which Invaded In-vaded South Africa sailed from Capo Town for London today, according to a cablegram which I have recolvod. The British team, which wont to Africa for a series of test games, is returning victorious, vic-torious, having won tho majority of the matches, although there wore 11 vo ties. A I Johannesburg, Protoria, Capo Town and other South African cities Interest In athletics, especially of the English brand. Is very great. There aro many athletic teams which go in Cor crlckot, polo, soccer football, canoeing, swimming and so forth, The fact that English forms of sport predominate Is accountable accounta-ble in the simplo fact that tho English residents are in the majority. American sports, such as baseball and Rugby football, foot-ball, are very rare Indeed. Robert Fltzslmmons, James Corbott. Sharkey and Jeffries, and all the other old masters of tho ring who, with the exception of Jeffries, admit they aro too old for fighting, may tako hopo from Bobby Dobbs. the British ring veteran, who won a 15-round tight from Charley Hickman, twenty-eight years his Junior. Dobbs Is one of the history makers of tho English ring, and ho was old In tho game when John L. Sullivan and Char-lev Char-lev Mltnhel! tvrro In tlin rlnr TlnhKci and Hickman mot at tho New Olvmplc club at Hull, and tho old master wns so strong and clover that he put tho youngster young-ster away In jig time. I looked the marvel over recently and asked him what ho attributed his lasting vitality to. "Oh, I Just wont along letting tho other boys have tho fun." said he. "1 live regularly and never drink nor smoke, and take plenty of outdoor exorcise every day. I'm always In training, whether I havo a fight on or not. Too many boxers today wnsto their strength by useless exertion. I never strike a blow unless I know It will land whero 1 aim It." Gladiators in Vaudeville. Two old-time gladiators aro touring England In a vaudeville sketch, who arc well-known to tho music hall patrons in Continued ou Following Page. GREAT INTEREST IN CLASSIC CONTESTS Continued From Preceding Page, both Great Britain and America. They an- John L. Sullivan and Jake Kllraln. Sullivan fears that Jeffries will not be able lo uet Into form for Johnson. Kllraln Kll-raln holds just' the opposlto view. Kllraln Kll-raln in conversation with me, said: "Jeffries oucht to whip tho negro easily. Of course. "Johnson Is a crafty fighter and has the advantage In roach, youth and possibly strength, but Jeffries 13 a vetfran. He has a powerful punch a punch harder nnd moro dangerous than Johnson. Jeffries ought to win. and to back my Judgment I will bet my last dollar on him." , , , Billy Papkc. tho Illinois "thunderbolt, has been getting Into shape outside of Paris, for his bout with Willie Lewis. Papkc . has tho better of Lewis in weight. Coming to Seo Battle. A special lour Is being arranged by McCann's to take a party of English and continental sportsmen to America next summer to seo tho Jeffries-Johnson fight. A special train will lcavo London, carrying carry-ing the party to the seaport sclocted for embarkation, and a specially chartered ship will take them across the high seas. Another special train will whirl them across the American continent. Mc-C'nnn's Mc-C'nnn's Is one of the leading tourist agencies in business. Special cooks and servants will accompany tho party, and already a ureal, number have signified their Intention of solng. |