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Show Strained Olympic Relations Will Be Patched at Berlin's Summer Tournament. LORD LONSDALE PREFERS BOXING TO OTHER SPORTS Politicians Use Race Tracks to Cover Up Other Election Faults. BY BICHAED DAHLGEEN. By Leased "Wlro to Tho Tribune. LONDON, Feb. 5. International athletic ath-letic relations, which have been strained sliicc the last Olympic meet in this city, will be cemented again in the spring If certain plans, approved by Prince Henry of Prussia, Lord Lonsdalo of England, and August Belmont of America, are carried out. In view of tho decadence of the Olympic meets, it has been well suggested, anU in somo quarters the suggestion sug-gestion has been acted upon, of holding an international athletic meeting In connection with the German International Internation-al exposition, to bo held during June. July and August In Berlin. Although the plan was first broached some weeks ago, nothing was clone until later, and. now arrangements havo proceeded so far as to warrant a sanguine prediction for the event. Lord Lonsdalo, although more keenly interested in pugilism than the athletic branch of sports, says: "It Is well and nttlng that the great countries of the world should be more closely linked in sports than they are. I am glad to hear that Battling Nelson wants to annex ono of tho bolts which is now held, but aside from that it would promote a friendliness friendli-ness which docs not now prevail. I am In favor of closer relations In sports among tho jiallons of the earth in both athletics and pugilism." There has been much talk of legislation legisla-tion against race-tmck betting In England. Eng-land. That talk Is rubbish, because. In somo Instances, the tracks are owned by towns and the taxes of the residents o"f thoso towns nro greatly lessoned through tho rovonuo derived from the race tracks. It Is true that an Issue was mnde of tho question In the recent campaign, but I will wager a shilling that you cannot namo a single thing which was not an Issuo in the general elections. Tho National Na-tional Sporting league, the Turf Guardian society and the allied branches of the Amalgamated Sports committee sent out literature to each cnndldato for parliament. parlia-ment. Let mo whisper: that race-track-botting issue was a mcro cover for some other things in that election. The parl-mutuel has, in tho last twelve months, turned over at Long-champ Long-champ the sum of $15,000,000. according to word received from my Pnrls correspondent corre-spondent today. At St. Cloud 55.000,000 was turned over; at St. Ouen. Enghlcn nnd MaJsons Latlettc. $17,500,000; at Lo Trcmblay. $5,000,000; and at Autouli. $12.-500,000. $12.-500,000. This shows the prosperity - In French racing. I would say that there Is more money wagered at French race-courccs race-courccs than at any other in the world. Strange to say, tho most of tho hotting Is dono by women and men of tho poorer class, and In face of this condition recent re-cent statistics published by the French government show tho French people. Individually and colloctlvely, to be among the richest in the world. What's tho secret? Are "big purses hurting the pugilistic brnnch ot sport? 1 should sny that they are not hurting It a fraction as much as the movlng-plcturc game Is hurting it. "Gladiator," a very able writer on a London sporting paper, saysr "Tho big purses of the .past two years are doing no good to the spoft of boxing, box-ing, and the spirit of commercialism which has sprung up ls sweeping away all of the best of tho good old British gamo of fisticuffs. This Is nn American innovation, and like other things which nave come from America. It is disastrous to our English stnndnrds of fighting. Tho honor of winning a championship is lost sight of In the scramble for money. Sacrifices aro made for purses, which hurt not only the men, but the sport. Today the all-porvadlng question Is: 'How much nm I to get?' The difficulty dif-ficulty Is that American sportsmen hnvo too much money. They are plungers and tho amount which thoy spend and give away in purses Is disproportionate. Nelson, like Tommy Burns, has no clement cle-ment of true sport In his make-up. He Is after the money, and docs not care a whit who knows it nor how much hu hurts legitimate and honorable boxing." Jockey C. Aylln, who has hitherto rid den in Ireland, has accepted an offer of $4000 a year to ride In Germay during dur-ing tho flat season of 1010. The American trainer, Mr. A. Joyner, who recently returned to England from the United States, is taking full advantage advan-tage of every bit of pleasant weather to glvo his string action. The Joyner horses nro quartered at Southflclds. J. E. Widenor, another millionaire American, who lives, I believe, In Philadelphia, will bo an Important figure In English turf-dom turf-dom this year. Sam Darling, another trainer, will soon return from South America. In addition to tho American sportsmen for whom he is training, Mr. Darling's patrons Include Lord Roscbcry, Lord II-choster, II-choster, Lord Charles Berkeley Sheffield. Lord Lonsdale nnd Messrs. C. E. Howard and J. Buchanan. Boxing has spread Into Ireland with a vengeance. The Irish are natural lighters light-ers and there alwnys have been prize lights there, but there Is a regular Invasion In-vasion of the Auld Sod now by pugilists. Ireland Is now and will be handicapped in this branch of sport for many years on account of tho scarcity of money. Tho Irish never were burdened with coin and It requires money for the light game. Witness: It costs live pounds, or twenty-five twenty-five dollars, to see a good fight at tho National Sporting club in this city. Joe Singleton, who formerly enjoyed the lightweight championship of Ireland, relinquished that honor in a slxtcon-round slxtcon-round light In the Empire theater In Dunlin. Dun-lin. Dick Knock of Stafford Is at present pres-ent lightweight champion. King Alfonso will enter several yachts in the International Sonder yacht races this year. Tho races will bo held at Marblehcad, Mass., next September, as America at present holds the cup for tho Sonder class of yachts. This light will bo between Germany, America and Spain for yacht supremacy of the western hemisphere. Well, wo havo Billy Papka to add to the bright constellation of American pugilists now gathered In Paris. I was as Interested in meeting the "Illinois Thunderbolt" as I had been a week or so before In making the acquaintance of "Packey" McFarland, the Chicago stockyards stock-yards lad. Bless me, but I don't sec how American sporting writers keep track of those names. Billy and Eddie Papkc, his brother, wero callers at the National Sporting club while In this city. Billy looks as though he might merit that namo of "Thunderbolt," for he has a lighting face and a lighting body. He stripped and went through some light work at the club and showed himself to be fast nnd clever. Billy Is a middleweight, middle-weight, according to tho American standard stand-ard of weights. "1 am going to cloan them up In Paris" bang. bang, bang said Papkc, while giving a bag-punching exhibition. Bang. bang. bang. "I'll eat tho wholo Lewis family" bang, bang, bang "alive, nnd thon call for more. I will clean up England first, then France and then Australia." Bang, bang, bang, bang. And hero Billy sailed Into tho bag, working" work-ing" his arms llko a windmill. Harry Lewis arrived from the states the same tlmo an Papkc. His schedule is also to cat up England, France and the Los countries, puglllsticnllv speaking. Pop Coulon, father of Johnny Coulon. the clever little bantamweight fighter, is the latest member of the sporting fraternity fra-ternity to come forward with a new scale of weights to be used Internationally in fighting. As he snysr "Mr. Dahlgrcn, I submit the following weights, believing thoy would prove satisfactory in England Eng-land as well as America": "Flyweight, 105 lbs.; ringside. 7 st. 7 lbs. Bantamweight, 115 lbs.; ringside. 8 st. 31 lbs. Featherweight, 125 lbs.; ringside, 8 st. 31 lbs. Lightweight, 135 lbs.; ringside. 0 st. 01 lbs. Welterweight, 115 lbs.; ringside, 10 st. 51 lbs. Middleweight, 155 lbs.; rlngsldo. 11 st. 11 lbs. Light heavyweight, 175 lbs.; rlngsldo. 12 st. 71 lbs. |