| Show Eastman Exemption Is Unlikely Says Critic Paddock Predicts That Gus Kirby Ruling Figure of A. A A. A U U. Will Rule Against Western Middle 1 Distance Race Marvel larvel By fly y CHARLES W. W V. V PADDOCK The ruling figure in the Amateur Athletic union of the United States In the Intercollegiate American Ama Ama- p. p ls N Athletic association asso asso- t and in the i I f. f American Olympic L LI for theA the A M past past 30 years has bee been n Gustavus p Town Kirby of New York A. A fj i J. J tl n 1 Whatever these tJ v 4 w organizations have t i V been I responsible y 2 A 4 lion for both good and I bad can be direct direct- t Vf ts ly traced to this Sf ji t tone ione one man whose t f. f a k passion has been to toj V- V j direct and control I h f 1 i i I i f- f 1 the track and field 1 j destinies of American Amer Amer- Eastman icon ican can youth Today Gus Kirby is not an on officer of f the A. A A. A U U. but he wields more influence than any of them NOT FOND OF TEMPLETON TEl If It Ben Eastman is to compete in two events on the Olympic program it I will only be after Gustavus T T. Kirby I has las given his consent And right here hereit it might be added that Kirby has I never been a staunch supporter of Dink Templeton Eastman's coach On the contrary he barred Templeton from competing in the high jump jums at al Antwerp in 1920 1020 when Dink might very well vell have won the Olympic title Lawson Robertson stated that Eastman Eastman East East- 1 man would only have to qualify Inthe inthe in inthe the final tryouts at Palo Alto in the thc BOO meters in order to also compete in the meters meterS' Lawson as head coach of the Olympic team recognized that Eastman could b be a double winner for tor th the United States 1 if he were not overworked Robertson was willing to see Eastman become the Nurmi of American running and it was well within his province as head coach to make the decision But he will be overruled Gus Gu Kirby will wUl see sec to that And Bill Carrs Carr's sensational sensa sensa- ional victory will serve as a flimsy excuse for that decision Every athlete and every coach who has las watched Eastman run and knows he the man appreciates that he is not only the fastest middle distance champion cham cham- pion ion of all time but also that he is h lost ost when not running the meters in n lanes He is a slow starter and is forced breed to sacrifice both stamina and form orm when he has to run around his his' 1 field in the first 1 00 yards ards And it isI is Ii I too much of a task for him to run six races in three days In the Olympic games gilmes if it he has had to undergo all of the stiff trials at nt Palo Alto which are necessary 1 if he hc is made to qualify in two races I If Dink Templeton did not happen to be Eastman's coach and If he had hadnot hadnot hadnot not been born and raised and educated educate ed in the west Ben Den Eastman would be DC automatically qualified for the Olympic team without trying out in two events Gustavus Town Kirby would see sec to that But as matters now stand Eastman will have to run In order to compete at Los Angeles and under these conditions Templeton Temple Temple- ton m allow his boy boyto to run only in one race and that will be the me me- terse And you can bet your last dollar del dol lar Jar that Eastman will win the Olympic pic plc championship ev even n if he has to beat a dozen Bill Carrs Carts STRUTS STRUT'S CAREER Though Gus Kirby was never a great athlete himself being a fair track man at Columbia university in 1893 an intercollegiate late I I I champion h mp and a member r of the football football football foot foot- foot foot- ball squad he was a great boy while still an undergraduate to manage teams and nd was elected student president president dent of the I. I C. C A. A A. A A. A A. A in 1896 1895 The following year found him as chairman chairman chair chair- man of the advisory committee ol of that association a job which he still holds It was this entree which gave Kirby his chance to gain control of both the American Olympic committee commit commit- tee and the Amateur Athletic union No one has cared to off offend nd th the intercollegiate in in- organization which had hadas hadas as its members virtually all of the thc colleges of the cast east and many of ot the lar large e educational institutions of the entire country and since Kirby Is and has been for more than 30 years the official spokesman of that body his word has been law There is no question ques ques- tion but that Gustavus Town Kirby has done a great deal for amateur sport but his devotion for lor western athletes or officials has never been outstanding |
