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Show OLYMPIC CHITTEE WORK AT LAUSANNE American Delegate Says Way Is Cleared for Olympiad in 1916 at Berlin. LAUSANNE. Switzerland, June 15. Prof. W. 3d'. Sloanc of Columbia university. univer-sity. New York, ono of tho American delegates to tho Olympic congress and a member of tho International Olympic committee. In talking about the results of the committor!1. recent work at "Lausanne, "Lau-sanne, has expressed himself as follows; "Ono must distinguish between the meetlnp of the international Olympic committee and the congress for the discussion dis-cussion of the psychology of sport, which was summoned and organized by the international in-ternational Olympic committee. The work of tho committee was most important. impor-tant. Progress was made in arranging for the .Berlin Olympiad of 1916, cspo-ciallv cspo-ciallv on summarlzlnc for use the experiences ex-periences of the last Olympiad (1912) at Stockholm. In sonic respects this was our great achievement in ibis mooting that all the suggestions for Improvement, from the various national Olymplccom-mlttces Olymplccom-mlttces were prepared for incorporation in the arrangements for 1916. Paris Congress. "Of almost equal Importance was the completion of our arrangements for the congress to bo held In Paris next year, for the preparation of a type Olympiad. That congress will be attended -by representatives rep-resentatives from all the national Olympic Olym-pic committees, and in commemoration of twenty years' work will definitely set-tic set-tic questions of events, judgee, qualifications, quali-fications, entries, etc. The International Olympic committee Is In no sense a representative rep-resentative :body. It is self-perpetuating and is the "historical carrier of the Olympic Olym-pic Idea. Us business is that of clearing clear-ing the way for tho succesBlve Olympiads and securing nations to act In turn as hosts. It meets once every year. The congresses organised by the committee meet at Irregular intervals and have no continuity, adjourning sine die. They givo Invaluable advice and disseminate knowledge and have hitherto had no representative rep-resentative character. That of 10M in Paris differs from all its predecessors in that respect. II will be a representative, authoritative, international body, selected to settle vital questions, as those who participate as athletes In the Olympiads desire them to be settled. Its work done, it will adjourn not to meet again until summoned by tho International Olympic committee." Analysis of Sport. Professor Gugllelmo Ferrero of Turin university, the well-known historian, in an address before the congress on sporl from tho point of view of an outsider, gave an interesting analysis of the real significance of sport under modern conditions con-ditions of living. Ho said that the tendency ten-dency for each set of men, whether men of science, artists, architects or commercial commer-cial men, was to overrate the Importance of their own lino of work In relation to other work. "Sport may be considered as a necessary neces-sary limitation imposed on the excesses of an intellectual, sedentary stato of civilization," civ-ilization," declared Professor Ferrero, "which severely tries the norvous system. sys-tem. Never has man lived in such a. state of permanent and Increasing excitement. ex-citement. If tho ancients could come to life again, their first Impression, wo may be sure, would bo that men had become mad. This extremo mental tension throughout the world needs something to counterbalance U. Might it not increase in-crease indefinitely until it entailed bankruptcy of the entire nervous system? sys-tem? How long this nervous over-excitement can go on Is one of the most serious problems of our times. Benefit as Diversion. "Sport may, If carried on in accordance with certain principles, become ono of Ihe limits set to over-excitemont In one's work. If it be practiced as a wholesome whole-some diversion, it will bo a beneficent and recuperative force, acting upon the nerves above all. This Is the Ideal of sport, the only conception of It which Is In no danger of running to extremes. An equalizing force, something to counterbalance coun-terbalance the intellectual excesses of contemporary civilization. sedentary, norvous and kept in a continual turmoilthis tur-moilthis is the best definition of sport. Tt Is as old as the world, but sllll It is the best definition. Sport is a forco whose function it is to preserve tho balance between the various elements, ele-ments, of social life, a force of equilibrium. equi-librium. "But if this conception of sport is to mako way, we must be prepared for many disappointments. Man Is naturally natural-ly inclined to excess and never has a tendency to excess been greater than at present. Tho modern world urgently needs moderation, equilibrium and harmony har-mony If It Is not to perish by the very excess of itsenergy. We are richer, more learned and more powerful than our forefathers, but we havo not become demigods because we have discovered America and invented railways. We are still mere men. All the weaknesses which moralists of the past havo discovered dis-covered In us still exist. "Moreover, we have to pay nature with her wav of equalizing matters a heavy price for the advantages we are reaping reap-ing from the accumulated labors of past generations, a price which takes the form of nervous diseases, madness and Increasing frequency of suicide. The modern mod-ern world suffers without admitting that It docs so. Those who attempt to lead us back to a saner Ideal of life render a service, t lie need for which Is shown more than by anything else by the fury with which this Ideal is apparently rejected." |
