A most unfortunate incident occurred at the Olympic Games on
Thursday in the final heat of the four hundred metres race. The competitors were three Americans and the Englishman Halswelle. Halswelle was so transparently driven out of his course by one of the Americans, Carpenter— he was actually, it is said, elbowed in such a way that marks were left on his body—that the judges broke the tape at the winning-post and declared the race void. We can only hope that this unpleasant incident will not lead to international recriminations. Some attacks bad been made on the fairness of the judges earlier in the games, but we think that English- men, and we venture to believe the great majority of foreign visitors also, will accept their decisions and explanations as conclusive. If international athletics must lead to bickering, we would rather take no part in them at all. Our judges are liable to error, no doubt, but they are the most competent and honourable we can provide; and we might add that it is the part of good sportsmanship to give them credit at least for worthy intentions. We are sure that most of our visitors readily do so.
