ADDRESS OF WELCOME BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE R. G. MENZIES, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA, AND PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC FEDERATION.
By the choice of those who have organised this programme, I am the first speaker. In reality I ought to be last. For the other two speakers are His Excellency the Governor of Victoria and Mr. Avery Brundidge, the President of the International Olympic Committee.
His Excellency the Governor, in spite of his heavy social and representational duties, always looks to me as if he could still make a century at cricket or run a smart quarter mile on the cinders.
Mr. Brundage is not without his critics, as I occasionally gather in the press. In this respect he and I are brothers. But he has the distinction, which no critic can take away from him or would wish to take away from him, of having been a leading custodian of the international amateur spirit for a long, long time.
We have in fact become so accustomed to sporting contests that we occasionally forget that there are some to whom such Contests are a matter of business, and nothing more. I do not speak about this in a superior way, or with reproof, for under modern circumstances public entertainment cannot always be expected to be the free gift of the entertainer. But in common with all of you, I retain a special place in my affections for amateur sports, played or competed in for sheer love of what goes on.
Amateur athletics of all kinds remain, in my opinion, remarkable in this respect.
How we are all looking forward to these Games! So long as I can remember, records have been broken and wise men have promptly said: "This record will stand. Human speed or strength or skill cannot reasonably go beyond this point." Yet, before long, the new record is itself broken. Speed increases. Runners develop new techniques. By long practice, they have, like myself, learned to breathe and to relax. Swimmers pass through the water as if jet propelled. High jumpers leap from the ground so high that I would not be surprised to be told by some scientific person that the higher they go the higher they will go, since the force of gravity will be reduced, and that, with some species of muscular rocket propulsion, they may yet pass out of our sight and land somewhere else in the world only in time to discover that their new record has already been broken.
I venture to say there will be few vacant seats at these Games. For the first time in the history of Australia, we will be seeing athletes from all over the world. I believe, and know that someday there will be old men, now young, who, sitting by their firesides, will recapture the glorious beauty and rhythm of the runners and the skill of all those who will engage in these world contests. I have never been able to understand the minds of those who profess to believe that the perfect world will be one in which there will be no competition or contest; a world in which I suppose some Government will guarantee us all a four minute mile or a seven-foot leap.
The truth is, of course, that it is out of rivalry and generous emulation that the greatest development of our powers emerges. The history of the 20th Century abundantly attests that rivalry, ill-founded and basely considered, can breed envy and malice and hatred and charitableness. But an honest rivalry, a meeting on the merits, the matching of self-discipline against self-discipline, these are the salt of life. To those who see in these athletic contests a mere futile absurdity, I would say on behalf of every Australian lover of sport and contest:
"You are wrong. These things are, I repeat, of the salt of life." And as our English Bible says:
"If the salt hath lost its savour, wherewithal shall ye be salted”
Some day some philosopher will analyse the contribution which athletic contest makes to the good life and the full man. If he does he will find that he is not engaged in an academic exercise. He will, on the contrary, find that he is coming very close to the springs of human action. He will remind himself that it is significant that the Olympic Games derive from ancient Greece, where the pure and exacting cultivation of the mind went hand in hand with athletic prowess and physical discipline. Sun and shadow, rain and drought, snow and summer, storm and calm, all make their contribution to the bursting physical life of the world 'and to the production in the human mind
Of that sense of proportion which is the very definition of sanity, encourages human understanding and widens the boundaries of human nature.
Reference to boundaries brings me to another great feature of these Games. They have attracted many visitors from other lands and have, therefore, stimulated an interest in Australia, its economic growth, its people and its national future.
We are delighted that this should be so. We have a small but rapidly growing population inhabiting a great island continent. We are aware of our responsibilities. We still believe that the spirit of our pioneers is not dead. But there can be no doubt in these days that the growth of any nation can be vastly and rapidly stimulated by the friendly sentiment and practical interest of other people. Though Australia has taken a remarkable part in two world wars, it is true to say that we are by nature a peace-loving community made up of people who would sooner see the competition of peace than the grim competition of war. We hope that all our visitors will like us,
and will like our country, and will like our ways. I have in my own time been a great traveller. I have travelled long enough and far enough to discover that there is something attractive in ‘other lands and that, if we could but get to know each other
better, many of our problems would at once be seen to be artificial and would flutter away in the first wind of friendship.
To all our visitors of all nations I bid welcome, as President of the Australian Olympic Federation, and on behalf of the Government and people of Australia.
I congratulate the city of Melbourne on having secured the right to stage these Games. I congratulate all those who have laboured through every difficulty to bring them to fruition. I congratulate the Government of the State of Victoria on having interested itself with such success in this matter. I might even, if I were somebody else, congratulate the Commonwealth Government on having violated all its financial principles by coming to the financial party in a big way. But if I stop there it would be not enough. The truth is that we in our various fashions and none more than the great champions of amateur athletics in this country have busied ourselves with the mechanics of organisation and of preparation. But, when it comes to the point, the people who will make these Games and who will make them forever memorable in Australian history are the men and women who, after months and sometimes years of rigorous self-discipline, have qualified themselves for the contests which are the living reality of the Olympic Games.
IADDRESS IN REPLY, BY MR. AVERY BRUNDAGE, PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC FEDERATION.
About to open the Games which celebrate the 16th Olympiad of the modern cycle, we are here in Melbourne, Australia, almost as far as possible away from Olympia, the site of the Original Games. We are in another hemisphere and on another continent.
That in itself is a most significant thing, indicating as it does how far the Olympic Movement has travelled in the last sixty years. We are indebted to the late Sir Raymond Connelly, then Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sir Harold Luxton, and theChairman of the then Invitation Committee, Mr. R. J. McPherson, and the others on the small committee that conceived this idea of staging the Games in the Antipodes and travelled half-way around the world six years ago to convince the International Olympic Committee, which was meeting in Rome, that it could be done.
We are indebted also to those who made this dream, which many in those days thought it was, a reality -the authorities of the City of Melbourne, the State of Victoria, and the Federal Government of Australia, who provided the funds; the Organising Committee headed by the Honourable S. Kent Hughes; the Australian Olympic Federation; and last but not least, the two Australian members of the International Olympic Committee, Messrs. Hugh Weir and Lewis Luxton, who have furnished able support at all times and especially when it was needed most. It was a huge task to organise this vast and complicated enterprise and it required the concerted efforts of all for success. It is not to be denied that we were worried and had our doubts at times, until we discovered that Australians are different -that while they do insist on doing things their own peculiar way, when they say a thing will be done they meanit. When I was here eighteen months ago, the last man I talked with was the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable R. G. Menzies, who assured me that this was the case. After that, I stopped worrying, since the Prime Minister is a man who inspires confidence. The proof is here to-day and the Games, I am sure, will create new records not only on the track and on the field but also in international friendship and understanding.
Fifteen Olympiads have passed since the Baron de Coubertin, almost single-handed at times, as a result of strenuous personal efforts, finally overcame the doubts and hesitancy of a sceptical world and succeeded in reviving the Olympic Games after a lapse of 1500 years. No other enterprise created by man has ever lasted so long. It was only after Greece was conquered by the Romans, in a new and different era, that the Games were abolished. The Olympic Movement is now three score years of age and has reached maturity. Let us review the amazing accomplishments in these last sixty years.
The ancient Games were confined to Greeks, one kind of people who thought and acted more or less alike. Others were said to be barbarians and not competent to participate. De Coubertin's idea was not to confine the modern Games to any one country or even to any one race. They were to be open to the youth of the world regardless of colour, creed, or political convictions. Owing to differences in language, in economic status, and in social development, many considered this an impossible programme, but the Olympic Movement has now been embraced by all civilised nations. In those first Games of the Modern Cycle there were but a handful of participants, mostly European. Aside from the United States, which sent a small team, hastily assembled, there were no non-Europeans except Australians no South Americans, no Africans, and no Asiatic. To-day we have representatives here from all continents and from every important country, all respecting and observing the same rules and regulations. No code, religious or civil, has ever had such universal acceptance.
Why is it that the Olympic Movement has been adopted by all the world? It is because its principles are so sound and so fundamental that they appeal to everyone, and this is the hope of the world to-day, when it is so seriously divided in other fields, that people of more than eighty different countries do believe in fair play and good sportsmanship and do support enthusiastically such an idealistic enterprise.
It is true there has been criticism because, while in the "Golden Age" there was an Olympic truce and all warfare stopped during the period of the Games, after two thousand years of civilisation, we stop the Games and continue our wars. One of the objectives of the Games is to develop international goodwill. Alas, the Olympic Movement has no soldiers and no money. It, therefore, cannot stop warfare, but it can and does set a good example, and only when the politicians of the world adopt those principles of fair play and good sportsmanship which prevail on the fields of amateur sport will there no longer be necessity for wars.
Lest one consider this a futile gesture because there are no guns and no dollars, one should remember that right here in Melbourne are the representatives of countries that have no diplomatic connection, mingling on the fields of sport, where Olympic rules are followed and respected by all. And further to demonstrate the great power of this wonderful Olympic idea, remember that at Cortina d'Ampezzo during the VII Olympic Winter Games, there was one German team composed of competitors from both East and West Germany, all with the same uniform, the same leaders, and the same flag. This will also be the case here in Melbourne, thanks to Dr. Karl von Halt,President of the West German Olympic Committee, and to President Heinz Schobel, of the East German Olympic Committee, who handled the delicate negotiations. Here is a most conspicuous example of Olympic power; the answer to a problem that has baffled the Chancellories of the world.
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure, at the invitation of Prince Gholam Reza Pahlavi, International Olympic Committee member for Iran, to visit that country during their annual celebration of Olympic Week. At that time I visited Isfahan and saw the impressive old Persian polo field which is now the main square in that city. When that field was used, sport was only for kings, princes, and the nobility. For the rest of humanity, the struggle for existence was a full-time job. To-day, conditions have changed and sport is for everyone. For one who participates in the Olympic Games, thousands try. It is most important, therefore, that there is a clear understanding that sport must be amateur or it is not sport at all, it is a business -a branch of the entertainment business. There is nothing wrong -with that, of course, it can be as honourable as any business, but if sport is to develop all its social, moral, ethical and educational values, it must be practised for its own sake as a vocation and not as a career. There are things more valuable than money things impossible to purchase and one such thing is an Olympic medal.
It was not just to establish champions and to break records that de Coubertin revived the Games. He had in mind, it's true, both the physical benefits and the good health that follow programmes of physical training and competitive sport. His idea, however, was far broader, because it encompassed all the other values, social, ethical, aesthetic, moral and educational, that are perhaps even more important. These values, it is true, have sometimes been overlooked. Originally, in the ancient Games, there was but one athletic event. The Games were primarily a religious festival to pay homage to the gods. It was the fine arts that were emphasised; there were odes to be composed, epics to be recited, dramas to be performed, sculpture to be viewed, music to be heard. Last of all, there was the single race in the stadium, in which grace and beauty were as much esteemed as speed and strength. All the participants were eager Lo do their very best to show their gods that they appreciated their blessings, not for any material reward, but for the joy of achievement, for the praise and applause of their peers, and for the satisfaction of accomplishment. There were no prizes, no awards, save a crown of wild olive the glory of victory was enough.
This amateur conception was something new -it belonged to the so-called "Golden Age" when civilization blossomed and flowered as never before. Alas, the Games became commercialised, excesses appeared, denounced by the scholars and philosophers of that day and age who cried out against the subsidization and proselyting of competitors, the over-emphasis and the other abuses; the "Golden Age" came to an end and the glory of Greece faded.
Baron de Coubertin had before him the history of the ancient Games, and when they were revived, he sought to surround them with safeguards to prevent the same fate. "I did not revive the Games for the journalists, the cinema, or the counting house," he said. He wanted them to be like the original Games of the Golden Age, an offering of their best efforts by contestants, officials and organisers, dedicated to the Olympic Movement, without thought of reward. No one is permitted to make a profit from the Olympic Games. They require sacrifice on the part of all, and it is an amazing thing that they have grown and prospered in these materialistic times. As a matter of fact, the Olympic Games could never exist as a commercial enterprise the costs are far too great. They must remain amateur with all participants, both athletes and officials, contributing their services, or they are finished, for there is not enough return to pay them. The public has supported the Games because they are a hallowed event, an idealistic enterprise devoted to the betterment of humanity and a more peaceful world. The prestige of the Olympic Movement and the respect in which it is held are due to universal approval of its basic philosophy.
The International Olympic Committee has striven to keep the Games dignified, pure, clean and honest, as designed by their wise and far-seeing renovator. They must not become a battleground for national ascendancy, a money-making apparatus for participants and officials, or a circus or carnival to groom participants for a professional career to line the pockets of promoters.
We are happy to be here in Australia to witness the demonstration of Olympic ideas on another continent. Australia, one of the few countries that heeded the call of Baron de Coubertin in 1896, has participated in every Games since. This early devotion to the cause, and continued loyalty, despite the huge cost in both time and money, was one of the reasons for accepting Melbourne's invitation to stage the Games. We are now assured that they will be a great success. We have received a warm welcome and we thank you again for all you have done.
ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, GENERAL SIR DALLAS BROOKS, K.C.M.G., K.St.J., GOVERNOR OF VICTORIA, IN DECLARING THE CONGRESS OPEN.
The Olympic Games are, of course, indissolubly linked with the glories of the civilization of Greece, the traditions of which have been the foundation stone on which the western world has been built.
From ancient Olympia to modern Melbourne is a far cry both in time and space. Australia is twelve thousand miles from Europe, has a history of only a century and a half, and a population less than that of London spread over a huge continent. Its resources are inevitably somewhat strained by the problems of rapid development. Why then should the Games come here? The answer is that they have been well earned. No other country has been keener in supporting the Olympic ideal since 1896 we have sent a team to every contest, and the record of our athletes challenges attention. In 1952, for example, Australia won six gold medals, two silver and three bronze. In the modern history of the Games, Australia has secured a total of over fifty awards no mean feat for a small population.
Melbourne is the host city for the Games. I hope you will pardon our pride in the fact that, within the British Commonwealth, London is the only other city in which the Games have been held. But Melbourne alone could not do the task. The good name of Victoria, and indeed the whole of Australia, is also at stake. Without the willing co-operation of the Commonwealth and the keen help of the President of the Australian Olympic Federation, the Right Honourable R. G. Menzies, our task would have been impossible.
We acknowledge the zealous co-operation we have received from the citizens of Melbourne, the Government. and people of Victoria and the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia.
We accept proudly our great responsibility as hosts to the world. We have worked hard in preparation and have studied the rules and conventions that govern procedure so that the Games may proceed with technical precision. We give to our guests warm greetings,- coupled with the hope that they will find comfort and happiness in the arrangements made for their recept ion.
We welcome the Games, because we love sport in all its forms. We are (so we believe, and we trust that you will find it so) a friendly people and we delight to entertain visitors. just because we are a young country, we appreciate the significance of the Games with the greater intensity. We are frankly proud of the civilization which we have built in a physical environment that is not always friendly, and we grasp the opportunity to show to you the Australian way of life. This goes far beyond an interest in athletic contests. We are building a civilization based on freedom from want, on friendliness and on equality. No other country presents more dazzling opportunities for the advancement of the young, from whatever economic class they may come. But, material comfort and geniality of spirit are not the limit of our desires. We are proud of our schools and universities and the recognition which they are now receiving from the world. Our artists and writers have won their places in the hall of fame, and the Olympic Fine Art Festival, with its wide range, will give you an introduction to this aspect of Australian life.
The National Gallery will provide a history of Australian Art, our new Wilson Hall at the University, an exhibition of Architecture and Sculpture, and the Royal Melbourne Technical College a display of ceramics and industrial design. The Festival will also comprise opera, symphony concerts and drama. Whatever your tastes, we are sure that you will find much to interest you.
Since the end of the war, we have accepted migrants in increasing numbers, and they are now making a real con- tribution to our cultural and industrial life. I hope that our visitors from overseas will recognise the enormous possibilities in this country of future economic development. There are glittering possibilities and tremendous rewards for those who are prepared to be enterprising and to give of their labours to the full. Australia is merely on the fringe of its development. We are deeply conscious that there is much to be done on every hand and that we are too small a population to undertake the whole task successfully. We, therefore, welcome those citizens of other lands, who are able to do so, and who may wish to make their homes in our midst. Thus they can share with us the trials and tribulations, and also the happiness and sense of achievement, that come from living in a country at its most vital period of development.
I hope that all our visitors will retain happy memories of their stay in our midst. I hope, too, that you will have time to see something of the grandeur of our countryside, as well as the bustle of our cities. Australia provides a wide range of interests as a tourist resort. There is a great diversity of climate ranging from the sub-tropical north to the snows of Mount Kosciusko. Almost every form of sport is available, whether for the expert who likes to play huge fish, the swimmer who loves the surf ski,or those who like mountaineering. For the hardy explorer there is much that has hardly been touched. You may thus easily enjoy the sport or the climate which you wish, and if you choose Melbourne, you frequently may have every kind of climate within a single day!
I formally declare open this, the Session of the Congress of the International Olympic Committee, the Sovereign Body of the Olympic Games.