Admit Red China to Olympic Group: United States is Against Entry in 23 to 21 Voting; Nationalist China to Quit, Daily Racing Form, 1954-05-15

article


view raw text

Admit Red China To Olympic Group United States Is Against Entry in 23 to 21 Voting; Nationalist China to Quit By GEORGE ANDROULIKADES United Press Sports Writer ATHENS, Greece, May 14 Communist China was admitted to the International Olympic Committee today by a narrow 23 to 21 vote that did not have the support of the United States. The vote was bitterly denounced as a "tragic action" by the head of the Chinese Nationalist committee, who promptly announced that his group would withdraw from the IOC. Denmark and most of the Latin-American countries were, among those that voted with the U. S. against the admission of Communist China. Britain, the British commonwealth nations, Norway, Sweden and Finland supported its admission. A similar vote on an application from East Germany was defeated, 31 to 14. Ethiopia was admitted by a 44-to-2 vote; the Dominican Republic by 34 to 6; Malaya by 36 to 6, and Costa Rica, 36 to 6. Avery Brundage of Chicago, president of IOC and chairman of the U. S. Olympic Committee, opposed the admission of Communist China on the grounds that when that x nation sent delegates to the 1952 Olympics at Helsinki, "they were diplomats and not sportsmen." "I would like to see some sportsmen for a change," Brundage told the delegates. Sports in Both Countries. Well Organized Before the vote was1 taken, Soviet delegate Constantin Adrianoy, whom the IOC had appointed at its4 Mexico City meeting to investigate the Chinese and East German applications, reported that sports were "well organized on non-political lines" in both countries. Andrianov said his committee found their rules and institutions were in accordance with Olympic statutes. But Gunson Hoh, the Nationalist China delegate, denounced the vote after the results had been announced. "If they wanted to bring Red China into the Olympics, the committee should have done it properly as a republic of Soviet Russia," he snapped. "The Olympic ideals have been sacrificed for compromise and appeasement by recognizing a national committee which openly violates Olympic principles," he said. "It leaves Chinas true representation no alternative except to withdraw in protest and this will be done. "This spreading disease is bound to undermine the IOC just as its ideals already have been undermined. Instead of theoretical discussions on the state of amateurism, the IOC should be discussing the state of professionalism which is a frank and honest name for the sports methods behind the iron and bamboo curtains. "Instead of accepting the Communist version of how athletics have been organized and their prettily printed constitutions, the IOC should send investigating commissions to every country to see for themselves. World politics is a dirty business. The Olympic movement heretofore has been fairly clean. But the committes action is most tragic because it will affect millions of youth in the next generation," he concluded. He added that Nationalist China "might consider rejoining the Olympic movement later if we see the true amateur spirit reentering the Olympic movement." Before adjourning shortly after noon, the delegates failed to reach an agreement on "amateurism" and postponed discussion until the 1955 meeting at Paris. Swiss delegate Albert Mayer said eastern countries, particularly Russia, "stated they do not understand what the term state of amateurism means and we are therefore sending a detailed questionnaire on the subject to all national committees." After adjournment, delegates left for the city of Olympia to visit the shrine of Baron de Coubertin, founder of the Olympic Games.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1954051501/drf1954051501_2_1
Local Identifier: drf1954051501_2_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800