CREED SAYS WORLD NEEDS PLAIN SENSE

The following is the second of two articles released by the CRIMSON to the 20 members of the Eastern Intercollegiate Newspaper Association, and written for the CRIMSON by Captain Percy Red fern Creed, well-known English journalist and International sportsman. This article deals with the more practical questions of organization in the movement for international sport competitions, which he believes is the most promising cure for unfriendly foreign relations. The movement is supported by several prominent Harvard graduates.

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BY CAPTAIN PERCY REDFERN CREED.

In my previous article I claimed--I hope with the reader's consent--that civilization and the peace of the world lay in the hands of the great English-speaking Democracies. They have the power to secure the peace of the world. They undoubtedly have the desire to secure it. Have they the will and the intelligence to secure it? That remains to be seen. Given the will and the intelligence the problem becomes one of straight-forward organization.

A great deal of nonsense is written and talked about organization which is only a long and ugly name for common sense and hard work woven together in collective effort. There are two standard works on Organization which have stood the test of time the Proverbs of Solomon and Aesop's Fables. Every human transaction falls within their compass.

The ingredients of every sound human enterprise are the same: a healthy ideal or object; leadership; a competent staff; and money. All the great realities of life--such as the laws of health--are simple. That is not to say that they are easy to carry out. No great thing is easy of accomplishment. There is no such thing as something for nothing--in the long run. Those who are inspired to serve mankind must pay toll in duty and self-sacrifice. Their path is like the course of true love of which Shakespeare said:

"For aught that I could ever read,

Could ever hear by tale or history,

The course of true love never did run smooth.."

Those who undertake to promote throughout the world the spirit of sportsmanship--fair play for all and a sporting chance for the underdog--must be prepared to face the difficulties. But they start with the first ingredient of successful organization--a sound ideal. There can be no dispute about that. We next come to leadership, a very important factor in any case, but of vital consequence in a movement designed to become world-wide. And in this connection I would appeal with all the earnestness at my command to youth to see that it is worthily repre- sented in so great a cause. Here is a fine ambition for the young man of parts who desires to serve his fellow-creatures. As I asked in my previous article: what is American Youth going to do about it?

Given a sound ideal and leadership the other two ingredients of successful organization--a competent staff and money--will follow as a matter of course. Some people have an idea that money is the all-important thing. It is necessary and must be forthcoming but all kinds of money in barrels is useless without the other three ingredients. And, as I have said, it will materialize automatically in the train of the other ingredients. No sound cause, well led, ever lacked for money.

It is impossible as a matter of pure organization to start a movement simultaneously through a nation of 110 million souls flung over a continent 3000 miles wide. The seeds of the movement have been blown by fate to New England and are taking root in Boston.

The present proposal is that New England should hold out the hand of sportsmanship to Old England. In order to avoid over-centralization and to secure flexibility and a thoroughly democratic character it is hoped that each town will make its own arrangements with the town on the other side of the Atlantic which is to be its partner and friendly rival. To take a working model, a movement is on foot in Worcester, Mass., to send a challenge to Worcester, England. This challenge will include a statement of the historical factors which have brought the two communities together and of the belief that the "best cement between man and man--is the spirit of sportsmanship."

A Committee is in process of formation in Boston which will be pleased to co-operate with any town in New England and to act as an information Headquarters or the movement