The Olympic Games.

The Olympic Games movement has been termed “The International Brotherhood of Sport,” and supporters of the ideals of the Olympic gatherings have claimed that there is more likelihood of everlasting peace being attained through international sport than by any political pacts.

An amazing example of what attitude can be adopted towards the Olympic is given in “The Amateur Athlete,” the official publication of the American Amateur Athletic Union. Here is an extract from an article:—

“Germany, which came along so tremendously in the 1936 Olympics, already is preparing assiduously for the 1940 Games in Tokyo.

“Four special airships have been ordered to be constructed, so that athletes will be transported to far-off Japan in three days instead of three weeks.

“In addition, all firms with eight employees or more are establishing funds to send a number of workers to the Olympics in Japan. Germany expects to have 25,000 followers at the Games in Japan.

“Incidentally, the Games cost Germany 775,000,000 marks. Originally the Organising Committee had only asked for 18,000,000 marks. Even as to the original amount there was a divided opinion between the mass and specialist groups as to whether Germany should go ahead.

“Chancellor Hitler, however, asked for the figures on what a single battleship cost and was informed that the price was approximately 1,000 million marks. Whereupon he declared that the Olympics were worth more than a single battleship and should be done up in style. He reconciled both groups and the drive was on.

“The upshot has been an unbelievable athletic renaissance in Germany.”