Minister Jackson to the Secretary of State.
Athens , May 4, 1906 .
Sir: Referring to your instructions of February 21 and March 20,a I have the honor to report that the Olympic games were formally [Page 814] opened in the Stadium in this city, on the 22cl ultimo, by His Royal Highness the Prince Royal of Greece, Duke of Sparta, in the presence of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Greece and the King and Queen of Great Britain. Copies of the prince’s speech, together with a French translation of the same, are transmitted herewith. The games were closed on the 2d instant, after the prizes had been delivered by King George. Technically, the French athletes won the Olympiade, members of their team winning a large number of prizes in competitions which took place outside the Stadium (fencing, shooting, lawn tennis, and bicycling) and in which there were no American entries. In the real Olympic contests, however, the Americans won 11 first prizes out of a total 27, scoring the largest number of points in events which took place in the Stadium and winning the 100 meter swimming match as well.
Mr. James E. Sullivan and the American team reached Athens a few days before the games began, and most of the members expect to leave by the 6th instant. Americans are usually favorites in Greece, but, apart from what was to be expected, our men have been received with enthusiasm and their conduct has excited much favorable comment. Mr. Sullivan and the members of the team generally have won much popularity by their sportsmanlike qualities and their discipline, readiness to accept the decisions of the judges, and abstention from entering useless protests, and, as the representative of the United States, I have had every reason to be proud of them. On the other hand, all the members of the team speak with enthusiasm of the Greek princes, two of whom, Prince George of Crete, as president, and Prince Nicolas, were among the judges, who mixed freely with the athletes and showed absolute fairness in all their decisions. When a Canadian runner (M. D. Sherring) entered the Stadium as the winner in the Marathon race, Prince George ran alongside of him as far as the goal in order to make impossible any hostile demonstration, much anxiety having been felt as to the possibility of such a demonstration in the event of the winning of this race by a foreigner. Four of the princes—the Crown Prince (or Prince Royal) and the Princes George, Nicolas, and Andrew—spent the evening of May 3 at this legation, where they met the team and other Americans in an informal way.
In a speech delivered at a luncheon at the palace, which was given for the delegates to the games, on the 2cl instant, just before the distribution of the prizes, the King thanked the governments of the states which were represented for their participation, and extended an invitation to take part in Olympic games which are expected to be held in Athens again in 1910.
As a matter of general interest, however, I beg to add that a German scientist examined the hearts of a great number of the athletes before and after the various competitions and races, and that he found practically no irregularity in the case of the Americans, while many irregularities were found in regard to almost all (except the British) other athletes. This result is considered as being in favor of the American system of training.
I have, etc.,
- Not printed.↩