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While the writer was repeatedly enraptured with Mr. Sobaiu Ri's recital of .
this basketball recreational romance of the Land of the Pusing Sun, he wes eso
being constantly reminded of the experiences Of Mre Ee Ce Quigley, public relate
fons representative end umpire of the Uational Baseball League and outstanding
allesporte official, who on « provious tour of depen had officiated at a tourna~-
ment for the Japanese. lire Quigley had related his experiences to the writer —
some years before. He bed said that after starting the Japanese games in early
evening and working until four o'eleck in the morning, the only way that he could
finish the tournament at ell was to diswalify en entire tean the first time eny
player on the team made @ personal foul. ire Quigley had ebserved that basketball
interest in Japan was definitely more intense than in the United States end thet
erowde numbering 10,000 attended these groat tournaments. He felt that Japan had
gene basketball as well as baseball med.

? Count Soyejiua, president of the Japanese Basketball Asseofation, Dr. Kishi,
Mr» Shumpel, Mre Susuki, end other foreign representatives met with us at Ure
Sohal Pits dinner in Los Angeles with the definite intention of lending beskst-
ball in the Olywpies at Tokyo in 1940, eight years hence, where we were certain
thet the XII Olympied would bo held, regardless of whether or not we eould get

it ineluded on the Berlin oslendar, four years hense,-195G.-

Upon returning from Los Angeles inspired by international interest in our
truly American sport of basketball, we teek up serious correspomience on the
subject with Herr Merl Diem of Berlin, the general secretary of the XI Olympiad,

‘Jn the following sumer, 1953, in Springfield, Yess., YelleGels College,
where the writer was instructor in besketball, he made personal contacts with
Herr Prite Siewske, of Berlin, and exchange student, who later wont hone to
Berlin in the employment of the Hitler Youth Movement. Undoubtedly, Herr Sieweke
aided in the promotion of basketball for the Berlin Olympic ealendar.