Daily Post - 03.09.1943, Blaðsíða 3

DAILY POST

American Sports Shorts
by "The Ace"
Battle ðf
The Atlantic
In Reykjavík
Today ...
Fireman on the Track
Eleven comþetitors lined up
for the race, but the 17,000
foot-racing fans, sizzling in the
stands at New York’s Tribor-
ough tadium, had eyes for on-
ly two. One was chunky, pony
gaited Gregory Rice, taking
time off from his duties as chi-
ef pretty officer at the U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy at
Kings Point, L.I. to defend
the championship he had won
for five successive years. The
other: gaunt, gazelle-gaited
Gunder Hagg (pronounced
Hegg), the touted Swedish fire
man who was making his U.
S. debut in the national 5,000
meter run.
On form, things looked none
too good for Greg Rice. “Gund-
er the Wunder”, a self-coach-
ed runner, had smashed seven
world’s records ranging from
l,500.to 5,000 meters in 90 days
last year. His mark for 5,000
meters 3 miles, 188 yards, 2
inches) was 13 min. 58.2 sec.
The fastest 5,000 Rice had ever
run was 14:33,4.
The Race. Rice seldom sets .
the pace. Neither does Hagg.
But after the first lap of the
big race, lean Gunder decided
to take the lead. A youngster
named Wilt spurted past
Hagg once, passed him again.
But Hagg' refused to be anno-
yed. With effortless ease he
glided over the cinders, his
fringe of long hair flapping,
his voluminous shorts billow-
ing like a spinnaker.
Now and again he turned
his head to see how he was
doing. Rice, pumping along
with his peculiar heel-pound-
ing gait, fell farther and far-
ther back.
At the mile he was 6 yards
behind. At two miles there
were 60 yards between them.
Gundér Hagg could not be
caught. His time (14:48.5) was
not for the record books. But
his racing stride was some
thing never to be forgotten.
The Winner. Ever since
Gunder Hagg arrived in the
U.S. two weeks ago he has con
founded U.S. sportswriters. —
He speaks only a few English
words, but at his first press
interview, he gave the sports
writers knuckle raps aplenty.
When one asked how he
happened to become a runner.
Hagg looked quizzical for a
moment, theii snapped to his
interpreter: “Ask him how he
happened to become a sports-
writer.” Another asked: “What
are your duties as a fireman?”
Replied tart Gunder Hagg: “I
put out fires.” He calmly an-
nounced that he expected to
break no records while in the
U.S. because he was past his
peak (at 24)—” and that’s the
time to become a sportswriter
when you’re past your peak.”
At Hanover, N.H., where he
retired so that he could lope
through its wooded hills, he
put a “Private” sign on his
door in the Dartmouth College
Field House. He ate such un-
orthodox foods as fried scall-
ops before going out for a two
mile jaunt. He made friends
with a local Swedish-speaking
minister, told a visiting news-
hawk that he liked the minist-
er “because he can’t put what
I say into the Bible.”
After last week’s race, the
men in the press box were
ready to forgive Hagg all this
puckery humor. In awed sil-
ence, they watched him take
off his shoes and patter bare-
foot over the scorching con-
crete of the stadium to the
broadcasting booth. There, im-
passive as a totem pole, he
stood before a microphone, said
hello to his countrymen back
home.
Pal. In Los Angeles, Robert
J. Reed, 55, forked over $10.90
to a man with a pistol and ra-
zor. Said Reed: “I’ve got a
sick wife. I really need this
money for medicine.” Said the
robber: “Heres a buck. I’m no
heel, and forget about paying
me back, pal.”
Crestfallen. In Portsmouth,
N.H., Berdette Liljehult
stretched herself on gymnasi-
um bars for two months to ga-
in the half inch she needed to
get into the WAVES, enlisted
one day after the requirement
had been dropped a half inch.
An official British account
of two simultaneous convoy
actions in May told how air-
craft escort carriers, land-bas-
ed airplanes, and surface vess-
els are cooperating to beat the
U-boats.
Aircraft from the Royal Na-
vy’s escort carrier H.M.S. Bit-
er, first of these American-
made auxiliaries to be identi-
fied in the Atlantic action be-
gan the battles by depth-char-
ging and machine-gunning two
submarines. Long-range Coast-
al Command planes then join-
ed escort, and one of them, a
Liberator, disabled a submar-
ine. A British destroyer and
one of the new British “frigat-
es” (somewhat similar to the
U. S. Navy’s new destroyer es
corts) led naval aircraft to an-
other submarine. Attacking in
turn, they destroyed the U-
boat. Other aircraft, including
the first Fortresses mentioned
in Coastal Command use, and
destroyers then attacked. They
may have sunk two more sub
marines.
AMERICAN BROADCASTS
1300—1335: News Headlines.
Fifteen Minutes with the
Minneapolis Symphony. Mu-
sic To Sing With.
1600—1713: Contemporary
Russian Music—Prokofieff’s
“Alexander Nevsky”. Fibber
McGee & Molly Program.
News Headlines.
2240—2315: NewS Roundup &
Sports Page Dinah Shore
Program.
BRITISH BROADCASTS
News Summary. Itma.
MOVIES
TJARNARBÍÓ: Always In My
Heart. Kay Francis, Walter
Huston.
NÝJA BÍÓ: I Wake Up Scream-
ing. Betty Grable, Victor
Mature.
GAMLA BÍÓ: Vivacious Lady.
Ginger Rogers, James Ste-
wart.
This American nurse, assigned to duty in distant India, enjoys.
American Nurse Dons Hindu Garb
trying on the native costume.