4 MARCH 1938, Page 6

Reports of a discussion on the 194o Olympic Games by

the International Athletic Federation at Paris on Tuesday, when only the Norwegian delegate was opposed to the holding of the Games at Tokyo, give, I believe, a quite false picture of the actual situation. The one body that counts in the athletic world in this country is the Amateur Athletic Association, and in its ranks, and in particular among probable competitors at the Games, feeling against a Tokyo meeting is strong. In American athletic circles, and also, I believe, in French, the same view is certain to prevail. So it should, for the Games would bring to Japan both foreign currency and prestige (Germany exploited them to the full two years ago), and there are the strongest reasons why athletes from this country at any rate should, in view of Japan's aggression on China, decline here and now to take any part in conferring those advantages on her.

* * * *