XTH Olympiad Committee v. American Olympic Ass'n

42 P.2d 1023, 2 Cal. 2d 600, 1935 Cal. LEXIS 368
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 21, 1935
DocketL. A. No. 14758
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 42 P.2d 1023 (XTH Olympiad Committee v. American Olympic Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
XTH Olympiad Committee v. American Olympic Ass'n, 42 P.2d 1023, 2 Cal. 2d 600, 1935 Cal. LEXIS 368 (Cal. 1935).

Opinion

THOMPSON, J.

Plaintiff corporation commenced this action against defendants for declaratory relief—seeking to have it determined that it had the right to dispose of the proceeds of the Xth Olympic games held in Los Angeles during 1932. The plaintiff proposed to retire all outstanding bonds issued by the state to finance the holding of the games and known as California Tenth Olympiad bonds, and, in addition, to turn over to the state a sum equaling the remainder of the total sum received by it as proceeds from the bonds and thereafter, if any funds remain, to divide them between the city of Los Angeles and the county of Los Angeles through the Community Development Association, Ltd. The State of California intervened in the action, claiming that the proceeds of the games belonged as of right to it. The American Olympic Association, brought in by amendment to the complaint, also asserted its claim of right to the funds. The trial court found that the proceeds belonged to plaintiff to be distributed by it free from any claims of the defendants. The State of California (the notice of appeal also naming the California Olympiad Commission) and the American Olympic Association prosecute this appeal from the judgment.

There are a few facts necessary to an understanding of the controversy and common to both appeals. In 1892 Baron Pierre de Coubertin of Prance proposed a revival of the ancient Olympic games, and beginning with 1896, when the first modern Olympic contests were held in Athens, the games, with many nations competing, have been arranged regularly every four years with the exception of the year 1916 when the World War rendered impossible the friendly intercourse and competitive participation of most of the great nations. The central body is known as “The International Olympic Committee”, which is charged with the duty of fixing the times and places for the celebration of the olympiads. After the designation of the place the National Olympic Committee of that nation is entrusted with the organization and management of the games, or the last-named committee may delegate its powers to a special organizing committee “whose officials thenceforth correspond direct with the International Olympic Committee”. (Hereafter we shall treat in more detail with this [603]*603provision fof delegation or transfer of authority.) Subsequent to the naming of Los Angeles as the place for the holding of the games of the Xth Olympiad the plaintiff corporation was organized, and named by the national committee as the special organizing committee charged with the responsibility of organizing and managing the games thereof. The State of California issued and sold Tenth Olympiad bonds in the principal sum of $1,000,000 “for use in connection with the holding and staging of the Olympic games”. The California Olympiad Commission, named in the act providing for the bonds, audited and the state treasurer paid claims made by the respondent corporation upon the proceeds of the bond issue, and funds realized from the bonds were applied in the payment of liabilities incurred by respondent in arranging for and conducting the games. Admissions were sold to the public, concessions were let and from this source and salvage the respondent realized a sum which it does not desire nor does any of its members wish to retain, but which it desires to distribute in the manner already stated.

With these preliminary facts before us we shall turn to the

Appeal of American Olympic Association.

The contentions of appellant American Olympic Association, which for the sake of convenience we shall hereafter designate ,as the National Committee, are two. First, it asserts that the respondent, the Organizing Committee, was its agent and hence the funds belong to it, and, second, that the fund was raised for a charitable purpose, that of promoting peace and good will among the nations through the instrumentality of the games; hence a charitable trust arose, and inasmuch as the immediate purpose for which the money was raised is incapable of further performance, the funds should be distributed to it as representing the nearest cognate purpose. Considering these arguments in order, let us observe that the first is based largely upon certain language found in the general rules governing the observance of the olympiads. Our attention is especially directed to the opening paragraph of the “Regulations and Protocol for the Celebration of the Modern Olympiads and of the Quadrennial Games”, wherein we read as follows: “The International Olympic Committee in accordance with its [604]*604established rights having previously fixed the time and place for the celebration of the next Olympiad . . . entrust the organization to the National Olympic Committee of the country in which the chosen town is situated. This country can delegate the duties to which it has been entrusted to a special organizing committee chosen by itself and whose officials shall thenceforth correspond direct with the International Olympic Committee. The powers of this special committee expire with the period of the games in such a case.” The quoted language is from the English translation. Section 14 of the “Statutes of the International Olympic Committee” reads: “The French language is the official language of the committee. In case of divergence between the texts, the French text only is to be accepted.” Relying upon this provision the respondent observes a difference between the English text quoted above and the French. It is pointed out that the statement “This country can delegate the duties ... ” is taken from the French phrase “Ce Comite pent Deleguer le mandat ...” and it is claimed that the latter expression is more properly rendered into English by saying: “This committee may transfer the mandate ...” and it is argued that when so read in connection with other portions of the rules it becomes manifest that the organizing committee was never intended to become the agent of the National Committee. We are compelled to agree with this contention. In the first place, we find by reference to Clifton & Grimaux’s New French-English Dictionary (p. 284) the verb “deleguer” has the meaning “ (a) to send with power to transact business; (b) to instruct, to commit”. The French word “mandat”, according to the lexicographer, has the same meaning as our word “mandate” —an order, command, charge. Therefore the literal translation would be: This committee may commit the command or may transfer the charge. When this literal interpretation is considered in connection with the fact that upon its assumption of responsibility the organizing committee corresponds directly with the International Committee without any supervision by the National Committee it immediately becomes apparent that a new committee independent of the national body was contemplated. This view is reenforced by other provisions of the general rules. Section 8 thereof reads: “The organizing committee of the country chosen [605]*605for the celebration of the Olympic Games is responsible for the Games and must make all the necessary arrangements. It must carry on all correspondence relating to its work and send out official invitations to the different nations after agreement with the Executive Committee of the I. O.

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Bluebook (online)
42 P.2d 1023, 2 Cal. 2d 600, 1935 Cal. LEXIS 368, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/xth-olympiad-committee-v-american-olympic-assn-cal-1935.