The Olympic Garnes which have just taken place in Paris
have, it is sad to relate, been a failure ; not in the sense that the athletic performances have not been remarkable, or that the Games have failed to attract support. But unfortunately there has been failure in a worse sense than this. A number of most unpleasant incidents have occurred, in which the crowd has allowed its nationalist passions - the freest vent, usually at the expense of the American, and to a lesser degree of the British competitors. Thus, the Games are undoubtedly doing much more to exasperate international relations than to improve . them. Hence, it seems very unlikely that a British team will ever again compete. We fear that this is a sign of the lamentable growth of excited nationalism which has taken place since the War. The truth seems to be that only the Anglo-Saxon nations have as yet quite mastered the spirit of games. We have, 'it is 'true, taught the other nations all our skill, so that they can equal and even excel us in almost every sport and game, but unfortunately they seem to have been less ready to learn the more difficult but more important lesson—the lesson of that spirit of fair play: and chivalrous courtesy which is at once the essential condition for successful sport, and the excuse for the expenditure of time, money and energy upon it.
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