Concerning Barcelona 1922 and, more generally, FISA meetings I recommend anyone who is not yet aware of the beneficial effect of sport on international relations to attend events like those of the Eu ropean rowing championships. They would then discover how, dur ing these sporting encounters and their accompanying congresses, a pleasant, even friendly “entente” prevails amongst the representa tives of the various affiliated nations. During these sporting encounters, the battle is always fierce. Every body wants to see his own country winning. But as soon as the win ners’ names are announced, there is the marvellous sound of totally unanimous cheering for the best athletes, whatever their nationality. During congresses the most friendly courtesy prevails before discus sions on the most controversial questions, and an inexperienced ob server of such proceedings would be amazed at the concern with which everyone, according to his means, his abilities and his ex perience, tries to contribute to the common effort to serve the gener al rather than the individual interest. As the European championships are organized and competed for in a different country every year, each national federation in turn makes sacrifices — often great ones - in order to fulfil its obligations as host to the representatives of the associated nations. This is in any case a difficult task, as, besides the by no means negligeable finan cial burden, the organization of the regatta and of the receptions de mands of the host federation all manner of thoughtfulness to repay the hospitality which has been received during previous champion ships in other countries. In this respect, the Spanish rowing federation proved equal in every way to the task which it had accepted at the 1920 and 1921 con gresses, welcoming everybody with great generosity and kindness. It was possible to judge its wealth merely from a visit to the superb building which served the main Catalan rowing club as both club house and boat-shed, and whose construction before the war had cost the princely sum of 300,000 pesetas. Generally, the organisa tion of the championships was quite remarkable. The best possible use had been made of a stretch of the outer harbour as a regatta course. The welcome received in Barcelona was excellent and could not have been bettered. The desire that everyone should take home a happy memory of the Catalan city and of the Spanish federation was very obvious; and it was certainly satisfied. Opinion of Eugene Toulot. The coxswainless pair and coxswainless four were added to the programme of the Olympic regatta. The order of racing was established as follows: 2-, 4 +, lx, 4-, 2 +, 2x, 8 +. August 31st 1923 — Como 26th FISA congress Present: 21 delegates from 9 federations. The president of the Italian federation, Carlo Montu, was made chairman. The congress was held at the Hotel Plinius. The new Statutes were agreed, article by article. In ac cordance with them, elections then took place. For the first time, there was an election for the president of FISA. Eugene Baud (SUI) received 15 votes and Carlo Montu (ITA) 12. Next, the Frenchman Octave Bouttemy was elected vice-president with 12 votes. President Baud then reminded his colleagues that the secretary- treasurer had to be from the same country as the presi dent. He proposed Henri Manuel. This was a popular choice. They would take up their duties, in accordance with the Statutes, on January 1st 1924. April 21st—22nd 1923 — Como 3rd extraordinary FISA congress Present: 13 delegates from 8 federations Meeting at the Villa d’Este, under the chairmanship of Carlo Montu, the president of the Italian federation, the delegates decided on a complete revision of the Statutes, which dated from 1893, and which had become a real hotchpotch, as a result of successive additions and changes. From 1924, the administration of FISA would be in the hands of a group composed of the president, the vice- president and the secretary-treasurer. Extraordinary members could now become affiliated. They would not be required to organise European cham pionships, but, on the other hand, they would not be al lowed to vote on matters concerning those champion ships. In all other questions, they would have one vote, whereas ordinary members would be entitled to three. The coxswainless pair (2-) and the coxswainless four (4-) were added to the programme of the European champi onships, thus bringing it into tine with that of the Olym pic games. A minimum interval of 30 minutes was recommended between races at the European champi onships. FISA’s acceptance of women’s events, proposed by the French federation, was turned down. Dr. Dryepondt, president of the Belgian federation, stated that he was not in favour of proceeding too quickly and of giving FISA’s approval to women’s races as events at in ternational regattas, particularly at championships. In his opinion, it would be equally wrong from a medical point of view, for whereas it was unquestioned that row ing was an excellent exercise and means of physical de velopment for women provided it was practised with moderation, when it became a violent exercise (as would inevitably be the case in preparation for a champion ship) it could be harmful from every point of view. Moreover, he added, the associations did not have com plete control over the women’s organisations. When the matter was put to the vote, France was alone in support ing it. Proxy voting at congress was no longer to be allowed. From then on, each crew would be entided to bring its own coxswain, who would have to be a member of a club affiliated to the federation of the country which it represented. At the end of the meeting, Rico Fioroni, on behalf of the Swiss federation and of all the delegates, paid tribute to the conscientiousness of the long line of Italian FISA secretary-treasurers, singling out for particular thanks Count C. Vialardi di Verrone and Mario Alberto Rossi. Part 2 55
