In October, 1934 the Organizing Committee decided to include two further games in the programme, polo and basketball, since both of these had been authorized by the International Olympic Committee. In retrospection, one can assert today that in each case the decision was a wise one. The first presentation of a basketball tournament attracted 22 nations, in itself an Olympic record, and the polo tournament, in which five national teams participated, was also an outstanding success. We missed two of the great polo playing nations of the world, America and India, who had originally entered but later withdrew. In addition to Germany, Argentina, England, Mexico and Hungary were represented by teams, and we were agreeably surprised to discover that an unexpected world record from the point of view of attendance was established.
Preparing for the Torch Relay Run
The permission of the last of the seven countries through which the runners in the Olympia-Berlin torch relay would pass was soon obtained, and we could begin final preparations such as conducting numerous experiments and trials in order to obtain a torch which would burn for the required length of time and under all conditions. It soon became obvious that torch holders would be needed, and to our gratification the Friedrich Krupp Firm in Essen offered to produce these in stainless steel. The directions and regulations pertaining to the relay run were printed in the languages of the five countries through which it was to pass and circulated in June, 1935. Herr Klingeberg, Director of the Sport Department of the Organizing Committee and Herr Carstensen of the Propaganda Ministry covered the entire route personally in September, 1935 and arranged all of the details of organization. The torches were distributed in March, 1936, and thus all of the preparations for the success of the event were completed at an early date. The relay run over a distance of 1885 miles was carried out exactly according to schedule without a mishap of any kind. The German Chancellor, accompanied by the Reich Minister of the Interior, Dr. Frick, and Minister Rust of the Reich Ministry of Education, visited the Reich Sport Field on October 5rd, 1934 in order to ascertain the progress which had been made on the constructions. On this occasion he expressed several wishes for slight changes and announced the plans that had been made for the artistic adornment of the buildings. It was just a short time thereafter that he assumed the full
patronage over the Games, replacing the late Reich President von Hindenburg. The favourable weather conditions of the late autumn and early winter of that year enabled rapid progress to be made at the Reich Sport Field.
An active publicity campaign was also begun during the autumn and winter of 1934-35, the conditions for the designing of the official poster already having been announced in July, 1934. The Publicity Committee established its bureau at the Headquarters of the Organizing Committee on August lst, and in September announced the founding of the Department for Sport Publicity, the first activity of this newly formed body being the production of a 550 metre film entitled, "Preparing for the Olympic Games," which was completed in December. In the meantime, the jury had met to select the official Olympic poster, but the first results were not satisfactory, and a more specialized competition was decided upon. The closing months of 1934 were devoted to the planning of further publicity measures for the year 1935. Among the final activities of that year was the formation of a special committee for the Kiel Regatta during a meeting of the Organizing Committee in Kiel on December lst, 1934. Further conferences were also held in Kiel on June 18th, 1935, November 25th, 1935 and December 17th, 1935. The task of organizing the regatta was carried out by the Kiel Olympic Yachting Committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Lubinus, this group enjoying the full support of the City of Kiel as well as that of the German Naval Authorities.