FURY FROM THE EAST

The U.S.S.R. made two important moves last week in its drive for world sports supremacy. A bold move ended in impressive failure, and a desperate one brought less impressive success.

At the 1956 Winter Olympics the Russians captured the ice hockey honors, amazing the world and embarrassing Canadians, who like to consider this game their own, But there were many at Cortina who felt that the Canadians played in conditions which handicapped them. To go some way to settling the argument, a Moscow All-Star team has invaded the enemy's own camp. Its first game stirred enormous excitement, which was not reflected in the U.S. press. It is described below by a distinguished Canadian writer.

Less than 48 hours later—and 4,000 miles away—the Russians were plunged into another battle of portent which also went largely unnoticed here. Little Poland had challenged the mighty U.S.S.R. for its hitherto undisputed soccer leadership of Eastern Europe—and the right to go to Stockholm for the finals of the World Soccer Cup next year. How that challenge fared is told on page 20 by SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S Bonn correspondent, John Mulliken