The San Francisco call., 1897-11-07
The League Of American
Wheelmen Placed Them in
False Light.
RACING NOT THE ONLY SPHERE.
Association Men Say the A. A. 0.
Is Being Used as CatSpaw by
the L. A. W, Contingent.

Not being strong enough to fight its own
battles on the coast, the League OF AmeTi-
can Wheelmen has called to its assistance
the Amateur Athletic Union in a final
effort to regain the control of cycling
which it has lost to the California Asso ci-
ated Cycling Clubs. This is new feature
of the struggle which the c. a. c. c. will
have to combat, and it proposes to do so
with a Will.
The story in THE CALL Yesterday about
the underhanded attempt of the L. a. W
to regain power over the coast profess
sional racing men by false promises OF po-
sitions in the East has warmed UP the
dormant c. A. c. C. men and they are on
their feet now ready for an emergency.
The Kenna incident has given the local
L. 4 W. officials a weapon which they
are trying TO WELD against the c. A c. c..
Kenna Is the champion amateur rider of
the Pacific Coast. He is member of the
Bay City Wheelmen. Kenna, with all the
other Bay City racing men of any lmpor-
tance, Joined the c. a. c. C. and left the
L. A w. The Academic League gave a
field day about month ago at the Olym-
pic CLUB grounds and among the events
were three bicycle races. n one of these
races Kenna rode in spite OF the fact that
he was notified that he incurred the risk
OF suspension by so doing, as the meet
was not sanctioned by the c. A. c. c. In
regular course he was suspended.
A. P. Swain, president OF the c. A. c. c.,
Robert NJ. Welch. Charles Albert Adams
and other gentlemen prominent in the ad-
ministration OF its affairs, say on the sub
lect:
Out of this kenna incident the League
of II erican Wheelmen is trying TO create
the impression :hat We have said we are
going 10 fight the A. a I. Nothing could
be farther from our thoughts. This is not
the policy of the c. a. c. c. We do not
want to fight anybody. We are simply in
control OF the cycling affairs OF the coast,
and we expect that our rules will be
obeyed the same IS the unions are"
Mr.. Adams said in addition: 80 far
from opposing the a. A. o., as president
OF the Olympic Club Wheelmen was in
strumental in having resolution passed
IN that club asking the parent body Che
Olympic Club) to apply for reinstatement
in the Pacific Coast branch of the a. a. I.
The general i'm preston Is that the l.. a.
W. is merely using the A. A. U. for Its
own purposes, and cares very little for II
otherwise.
President Swain, speaking OF the future
of the C. A. g. c., said: "WhiIe the racing
situation here looks serious, 1t is not con-
cerning US much. We are in control, anG
expect to remain there, as our ad dmlnistra-
tion of affairs seems TO be perfectly salts
factory TO the wheeImen of the State.
But the c. a. G. c. has other and bet
ter objects in view which we propose tc
work upon during the winter months. We
have got to get out a new roadbook, and
it will surpass anything of the kind evel
seen here. There is much to be done in
The gOod-roads movement, and we snail
take up that branch of the work actively
a great many people think that all The
c. a. c. c. does is to promote Sunday
racing. There never was a greater error
In the good-roads movement there is
large field for endeavor, and racing will
be but one of the many branches of the
support we will take care Of"
The local division of the L. A. W. ha!
found trouble in securing men to take
Office for the coming year. The time fol
the annual election has long passed anC
still no ticket is in the field Chief Consu
Strong has tired of the unequal con tes
and will withdraw. 1t Is said that ne i!
trying to induce William Greer Harrison
to take his place. But Mr.. Harrison
wants something more alive than a car
cass to take hold OF, and the l.. A. w. i:
surely dead here.