Olympics Body Prepared to Circumvent Adverse A.a.u. Decision

The American Olympic Committee has already arranged to send a team of college athletes to the Berlin games if the Amateur Athletic Union convention this weekend refuses to certify athletes to the games, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned today.

The committee will accept for these athletes the certification of respective colleges or of the Amateur Athletic Federation, a predominantly collegiate body, according to apparently well informed sources.

Former Justice Mahoney faces a serious fight in the presidential election at the convention. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned that A.A.U. officials, members and delegates all over the country have been contacted by mail and asked to pledge to vote for Brundage, who preceded Judge Mahoney as president.

It is said that to date enough replies have been received to almost assure Brundage’s election. The plan is to "draft" the "reluctant" Brundage into the presidency at the parley.

Olympics officials are also brushing up on their Cushing manual’s of parliamentary procedure, for it is known that every technical ruse possible will be dragged in to suppress discussion of the Olympics issue at the convention. This was inadvertently revealed by Fred L. Steers, a member of the committee.

Statements backing Olympic participation which have been forth-coming from athletes recently have been, to a large extent, inspired by officials of the Olympic committee, it was learned. Athletes were asked to write letters to the committee declaring that the United States wants to compete.

Letters from five Negro track and field stars supporting Olympic participation made public by Brundage in Chicago today were reported the result of such inspiration.

Opposition to American participation in the Berlin Olympics reached a climax tonight in a mass-meeting at Mecca Temple addressed by Governor George H. Earle of Pennsylvania, Mayor LaGuardia, Jeremiah T. Mahoney and prominent labor and athletic leaders.

Receipt of 1,000,000 petitions asking removal of the games was announced by Samuel K. Maccabe, chairman of the Move the Olympics Committee.

Support of the movement against the games was pledged by Senator Robert F. Wagner of New York in a telegram to the Committee on Fair Play in Sports regretting inability to address tonight’s meeting. He wrote:

"Americans should not participate in the Olympic games. International sport becomes a travesty upon the universal good will that it is supposed to exemplify when the center of the festival is a place where good will of man toward all men is languishing."

John G. Magee, veteran Olympic track coach; John Ryder, Boston College track and field coach and Chick Meehan, Manhattan College football coach headed a list of eighteen coaches who addressed a communication to the A.A.U. asking withdrawal from the Berlin games.