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University Daily Kansan Wednesday. Feb. 29. 1956.
Continued-The Wes Santee Story
By SAM L. JONES
(Daily Kansan Editorial Editor)
The furor over the Santee suspension by the Amateur Athletic Union has not quite run its course into history.
As we've said before, the AAU goofed in every respect. By their rules and regulations they had every legal right to suspend the Kansas miler—but did they have the moral right?
In December 1955 the national convention of the AAU set a new policy regarding investigations of the Santee-type. In essence, their policy is that where charges against an athlete are sustained, the promoter is equally guilty.
What happened to the promoters of the California meets? They were given temporary suspensions or "severe" reprimands. In effect, they were told that they were bad boys, and shouldn't do such things.
The promoters were the ones who paid Wes Santee the money—but Santee was suspended for life for taking the money. The moral ethics behind the reprimands are completely out of line with the harsh treatment afforded Santee. In fact, they are absolutely stupid.
Now, there are some who say that Santee brought the suspension on himself, for his cookiness, his entanglements with the AAU and his "bad press" in the East.
We have nothing against the promoters. But they were just as wrong in violating the AAU rules as was Santee. They were only out to make money—and with Santee a tremendous attraction, they naturally wanted to "invest" a little in a star and reap big takes from the gate receipts, which they undoubtedly did.
We have talked to Santee's coach, Bill Easton, on several occasions, as we have talked with the under himself. Both exude such confidence in Santee's ability that it is almost overwhelming—but it is confidence, and not cockiness that have prompted the words expressed by the two individuals.
Last Spring, Coach Easton expressed the view that Santee has tremendous ability, physically and mentally, to run the fastest mile.
Santee himself is so imbued with the very thought that he does have the ability, that to many he sounds cocky. From personal experience, we know that eastern spots writers basically like the Kansan, but every time he goes to the East, he almost invariably gets a lot of publicity—good and bad.
The big complaint eastern sports writers have about Santee is his "cockiness." They have yet to realize that here is a man who comes right out and says what he believes—regardless of the consequences.
On the investigation by the "secret seven" of the AAU, we feel that one man, and one man alone, is responsible for the whole senseless action.
That man is Avery Brundage, a self-styled "czar" of amateur athletics, and the present head of the International Olympic Committee.
Czar Brundage said publicly that Santee would never be allowed to run in the 1956 Olympics.
He made that statement with such confidence that it leads us to believe that the entire action against Santee was his doing, and no one else's.
In 1953 Santee's name was stricken from the list of eligibles for the James E. Sullivan Trophy, annually awarded to the top AAU athlete.
Czar Brundage was chairman of the selection committee in that year.
Czar Brundage and the AAU have been so intertwined in the last few years that one speaks for the other-there is no difference in their viewpoint.
Last week's news again centered around the President as he ended his 11-day holiday in Georgia, quite likely with his mind made up whether to seek re-election.
It is time for the members of the Amateur Athletic Union to vote Czar Brundage completely out of their association, and begin running their own athletic organization. It is time the members ran the AAU their way, and not the way of Czar Brundage.
Eisenhower Remains In News Spotlight
The Detroit News and the Chicago American said Presidential Adviser Sherman Adams and Republican Chairman Leonard Hall are telling top Republicans that Mr. Eisenhower has decided to seek a second term and that he will announce it very shortly.
Meanwhile, the President announced that the United States will make available a billion dollars worth of uranium 235 at home and abroad for promotion of peaceful uses of atomic energy. This development of civilian atomic power in America will take care of the needs of American pioneers in the field.
The President announced that this country is ready to make surplus food supplies available to Western Europe, now facing the danger of hunger after three weeks of record snow and cold.
In Washington, a packed house broke into applause time after time as House members fired pot shots at Ezra Taft Benson, secretary of agriculture, and the Eisenhower farm program.
The Senate voted 79-1 to investigate any illegal or improper efforts to influence any senator or anyone in the government. Chief things to be investigated are lobbying and campaign contributions. An eight-member committee was appointed.
Secretary of State Dulles appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee concerning the shipment of tanks to Saudi Arabia. Dulles said the Russians now are drastically revamping their entire creed after 30 years of following the policies of intolerance, violence, and subversion dictated by the late Joseph Stalin.
Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor told Senate investigators the Army is developing weapons with which this country and its allies can hold the Communist armies in check in the event of aggression.
Meanwhile, Sen. Russell (D-Ga.) urged an increase of not less than one and a half billion dollars in new Air Force funds to meet the increasing air-atomic powers of Soviet Russia.
In Montgomery, Ala. a racial boycott against city buses led to the arrest of six Negro ministers and a Negro whose home recently was bombed. There were 108 other persons indicted, including
E. D. Nixon, former state president for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
In baseball, most major league clubs began spring training for pitchers and catchers. Cleveland's Bobby Avila, Milwakee's Ray Crone, and New York's Whitey Ford and Bob Grim have yet to sign 1956 contracts.
At Odenton, Md., five persons were killed and up to 100 injured when the Pennsylvania railroad's Embassy, fast Washington-to-New York passenger train, wrecked. Seven cars of the passenger train, racing at 80 m.p.h., broke loose and overturned.
In sports, Wes Santee, the greatest American miler in history, was shorn of his amateur standing and apparently eliminated for the 1956 Olympic track and field team. Santee was suspended for life by the executive committee of the AAU for accepting excessive expense money for three 1955 meet appearances in California.
In New York, Mrs. Tenna Kislus, 51-year-old widow, described as an active church worker, Girl Scout worker, and political club official, was arrested in a crackdown on a bigtime narcotics ring.
The recent banning of America's foremost miler, Wes Santee, as an amateur performer has brought and continues to bring criticism of the National Amateur Athletic Union. The chief complaint. has been that Santee wasn't the only amateur who accepted more than the bare financial necessities in making track appearances around the country.
In Pueblo, Colo., Eugene C. Hurst, gunman who kidnapped Mrs. Nancy Jackson, wife of a prosperous motor car dealer in a ransom attempt, was shot in the leg and captured. Hurst held Mrs. Jackson at gunpoint for two and one-half hours before being captured by police and husband of the kidnapped.
At Smolan, Kan, Raymond Holmquist, 40-year-old cashier at the Smolan State Bank, was charged with the $240,000 loss of deposits. The shortage was discovered by Mrs. Dorothy Lundberg, sister of the cashier, who had volunteered to work for her brother while he and his wife vacationed.
In Jefferson City, Mo., Arthur Ross Brown, confessed kidnap-slayer of Mrs. Wilma Allen, was put to death in the Missouri penitentiary gas chamber.
Other stories in the news included a tornado in southern Illinois which killed six, the arrest of 11 strikers at the Republic Aviation Corp. plant at Farmingdale, N.Y., and an explosion equal to the force of a million hydrogen bombs erupting on the sun and causing a cosmic ray bombardment of the earth.
Similarities Seen In Cases Of Santee, Paavo Nurmi
Twenty-four years ago there was a similar controversy going on, but on a more international basis. It came when Finland's great distance runner, Paavo Nurmi, was suspended from amateur ranks. He was also charged with accepting excessive expense money. There are other parallels to the Nurmi case of 1932 and the Santee case of 1956.
Like Santee, Nurmi was ruled out as an amateur during an Olympic year; in fact, only three days before the opening of the 1932 games in Los Angeles. However, the great Finnish runner previously had run in three Olympics and earned six gold medals. Santee was looking for his first shelfed by the AAU one week ago.
—Bob Riley
Suspended In April.
While Santee was suspended by the National AAU, Nurmi got the ax from the International Amateur Athletic Federation. Both were victims of seven-man executive councils, and neither was allowed to appear brefore the "secret" committees.
Nurmi was charged with taking too much money for competing in five track meets in Germany from September to October in 1931. He was suspended temporarily in April of 1932, but wasn't declared an Olympic spectator until July 29.
The IAAF had little trouble in reaching its decision to ban the great Finn. Due to a coincidence the membership of the Executive Council coincided with the membership of the special commission and enabled the same men who suspended him in April to sustain their action without further recourse and without going into the question of Nurmi's alleged professionalism.
court hearing, but the IAAF president refused to budge, saying "I will not permit that."
Nurmi's calm acceptance of the decision caused general admiration, but it came as a great blow to Finland, and the Finns fought desperately to get the decision reversed. They tried to make a move to get the controversy into an open
Finns Were Indignant
Finnish Olympic delegates were indignant at the "steam roller tactics" and "murder of justice." And they were joined in the fight by officials from other countries, but the suspension stood. A delegate from Iceland labeled the president's manner of handling the case "high handed."
One Finnish newspaper wrote that the decision was "unparalleled and sad." Rumors flew that the Finns would withdraw their entire team from the Olympics.
Great crowds gathered in Helsingfors, Finland, and shouted "Long live Nuri!" Afterward they sent telegrams to the Olympic site in Los Angeles saying "Nurmi or nobody," and signed "Thousands of Citizens of Helsingfors."
They sent numerous wires demanding that the Finnish team withdraw from the Olympics. Editorials stated "The Los Angeles decision is the worst shock Finland has ever received" and "Although Nurmi is absent from the arena, he is in everybody's thoughts."
—Kent Thomas
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Larry Hell, John McMilion, Harry Elliott, Jane Pecinovsky, Assistant Managing Editors; Barbara Bell, City Editor; Edgar Benson, Telegraph Editor; David Webb, Telegraph Editor; Daryl Hall, Assistant Telegraph Editor; Ann Kelly, Society Editor; Fleecia Fenberg, Assistant Society Editor; Kent Theodore, Job Bob, Assistant Sports Editor; John Stephens, Picture Editor
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