Sports Nothing to Do with Politics: Good Counsel to Chinese Athletes Reports have been appearing in the Chinese press to the effect that a number of local schools and organizations have asked the China Committee of the Far Eastern Olympic Games to prevent Chinese athletes from taking part in_ this year's Olympiad to be held in Osaka next month owing to the anti-Japanese movement. Dr.
Gray, the local secretary, has therefore made the following announce-men The games are international and not dual in scope.. That is, China has entered into a friendly gentlemen's agreement as a member of the Far Eastern Athletic Association and the World's Olympiad Committee, to take part in athletic contests with Oriental nations, and indirectly with the nations of the whole world. The Games are not merely between China and Japan. By withdrawing China might. for-felt her place in international athletics, thereby injuring the development of the movement for such things in China. She should no more withdraw from the world of athletics than she should from the League of Nations of which Sapan is also a member.
The fact that the Games are being held in Japan does not make them Japanese Games. The plans cal] for rotation. In 1925 they will be held in Manila. They are not Japanese Games because they are held in Osaka, The Games are not political. This question has been raised each time the Games have been held and the answer has always been that they are of a non-political nature and hence do not affect the attitude between China and Japan on political questions. There is iuerefore no reason why China should not enter -enthusiastically and send her best athletes to uphold her prowess By withdrawing from the Games China would not be accomplishing the purpose of the boycott and such action might seriously injure her place in international athletics. That is, other nations might retaliate by ignoring China and not invite her to join in future contests, and accuse the Chinese of being bad sportsmen.
By withdrawing. China would affect her relations with the Philippines whose people have been going to great expense and effort to send teams to the Games. The people of the Philippines could very easily take the action to be an affront to them as well as to the japanese if China does not participate. This China does not want.
Since this is not a political matter, in' what better way could the position and hopes of China in all things be shown and expressed than by going to the Games in full} force with eat. spirit and a determination to win all the races and games that skill, speed,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.