In Lima President Oscar Benavides of Peru last week addressed an angry crowd. Said he: "I have just received cables from the Argentine, Chile, Uruguay and Mexico solidifying the Peruvian attitude against the crafty Berlin decision." The crowd, which had already torn down an Olympic flag, surged on to listen to more speeches in the Plaza San Martin. Later it proceeded to the German Consulate to throw stones at the windows until police arrived in trucks. At Callao, Lima seaport, workmen on the docks refused to load two German vessels.
The "crafty Berlin decision" concerned a soccer game. Last fortnight Peru's Olympic team won a hard match against Austria, 4 goals to 2. After the game, Austria protested that Peruvian players had manhandled them, that spectators, one brandishing a revolver, had swarmed down on the field. The International Football Federation ordered the game replayed. When the Peruvian team failed to appear, the game was awarded to Austria by default. Peru's whole Olympic team of 50 promptly decided to quit the Games. Said Michael Dasso of the Peruvian Olympic Committee: "We've no faith in European athletics. We have come here and found a bunch of merchants."
In the gigantic sporting pandemonium of the Olympic Games, of which the purpose is to promote international good will, the uproar about the Peruvian soccer team was last week's most noteworthy single item. Meanwhile, at Berlin, the Games proceeded briskly to their end.
In a cold mist at Grunau, Washington University's eight-oared crew won the gold medal by half a length over Italy and Germany in a breath-taking finish. In Berlin German gymnasts swung, spun and rolled up the impressive winning total of 657,936 points. While the International Basketball Federation, meeting to see what could be done about making the game satisfactory for the 1940 Olympics at Tokyo, vetoed a proposal to limit the height of basketball players to 5 ft. 8 in., agreed on 6 ft. 3 in., the U. S. won the Olympic title, 19-t08 against Canada. Most conspicuous in the gigantic crowds, mostly composed of provincial Germans, who stared at all these doings, was Realmleader Adolf Hitler. Suddenly become an omnivorous sports enthusiast. Herr Hitler hardly missed a day's attendance. While Hungary was defeating France in the water polo final, a persistent lady admirer from California kissed the Realmleader's cheek.