The decision of the Japanese Government to abandon the design of holding the Olympic Games in Japan in 1940 is undoubtedly a wise one, and the fact that such a decision has been announced as early as it has permits of the possibility of the Games being held elsewhere without any postponement. There had been some feeling expressed as to the desirability of holding such games with the political state of Asia as it is, and in some quarters there was a feeling that countries disapproving of Japan's action in China should abstain from taking part. Others, holding the view that there should be no politics in sport, roundly criticized such a contention, but the matter has been settled once and for all by the Japanese decision, The further decision not to permit Japanese athletes to compete at the Games when held elsewhere is, perhaps, not so fortunate, for the effort of training a few specialists and the cost of sending them abroad would have no material effect upon the nation's finances, would serve to maintain the representation of Japan in the field of sport, and emphasize complete aloofness of sport from all political considerations, ' It- will, be noticed that sporting activities are not being abandoned because
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.