The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-01
FOREIGN SPORTING NEWS.
wadsiey and Long Match Causes Adverse
Comment.


The doinss Of American athletes take
up considerable space In the English sport
Ing papers and until Recently there has
been nothing but kin words for their
personality and praise for their perform
snces. There II no Disgusting the fact.
though. that during the past two or three
weeks the succs.ss OF our athletes In pot
hunting expeditions has stirred up n GER
tain section against not only the AmeH-
cans. but some leading English amateurs.
The papers are beginning to hint a. official
investigation. and the PRONUNCIATION Of
more rigid rules IN regard 10 match RACES.
or even the suspension Of several promi-
nent athletes may follow the agitation.
h trouble began over the special
quarter-mile match race at Crewe on July
20 between Maxwell ". Long and X. W.
Wsdsley. his conqueror In the English
championships. T. NJ. Abraham. the
Crewe Secretary. arranged an invitation
quarter. with the idea of having wadsley
and Long decide the question Of supremacy,
a. the American had only been a few DAYS
on shore when he was beaten In the cham
pionship race. In addition TO Wadsley
and Long. Mr.. Abraham invited =. II.
Kenyon. the Northern Counties quarter
mile champion. to compete. Kenyon &C
cepted. but this did not sui; Wadsley. who
sent word that he would run against Long
only. A tho English champion and the
feet American were the main attractions.
Mr.. Abraham wrote withdrawing his in
vitation To Kenyon and telling the latter
that he was entirely In Wadsley's hands.
To this Kenyon replied pointing out that
Wadsley had received starts In a quarter
mile from him and issuing a challenge
to run Wadslsy or any one el~e then In
Great Britain. from 10 20 900 yards. The
letter also contained this sentence
Il would suggest that the ection Of the
A. A. A. some years since with regard
70 the Bradley DowneT, Grassland Bacon
matches demonst rated plainly that these
circus shows for profe--edly scratch men
ac not in the interests OF legitimate sport.
and I should think that you. Mr.. Abraham.
would insist upon something different.
II only a. a guarantee of good faith for a
genuine race
The Athishc Nsrs. commenting on the
incident. says In part:
This may not Ia quite square with the
aims and aspirations Of amateur athletics.
and evidently there IL a strong feeling
that such matches should not take place
without the sanction Of the ruling power.
There Il a law hearing on this point. and it
was common rumor that the, proper pro-
cedure had not been followed This may
IT, so. or II may be otherwise, but II there
has been any dodging Of the regulations
no doubt the matter will Ia Inquired into.
for there were sufficient officials OF ia.
Northern Counties A. A A. present to
make II CERTAIN that u the laws have not
been respected a penalty will be imposed.
A. the same time there may IT, iustifca-
tion. or. a. one might say, extenuating CIR
c~um-tancc~, which the promoter may
advance. presuming they have offended.
and II would have been the greatest pity
In the world II the race had not been run
wins To a routine formality. for improved
TO BE- the event Of the day and provoked
intcnse excitement, but nevertheless. the
point with regard to matches should
b. raised. for II Is common history that the
executive have In days gone by prohibited
such contests when arranged by other and
perhaps le-- influential clubs.
This phase Of athleticirm should not be
tolerated for a moment unless we are going
to allow the young gentlemen who follow
athletics for the pure love Of sport and the
prize offered by the to dictate
terms and conditions. and nominate the kind
Of iamond ring arrangement they would
like instead OF a half-ton marble clock.
However. one may safely leave all questions
pertaining To the management to the A A
A. and the Board OF Control There Is
a warm wave Of purity rolling over the
committee. and no doubt the members will
make II hot for offenders,
In it, issue Of Aug S the same paper
goes into a different phase Of the situation
In reporting tbs Royton sports held a couple
Of days previous. Long and Wadsl.y
we're both present but neither won a prize
and the pair did not meet. the English
champion runnDg IN the 2eo.yards while
Long e-aayed he quarter. The drift 81
the may lie better appreciated
when Il h remembered that l.. /. Myers
was declared a professional by the Ing
lish Association In issS after a campaign
somewhat similar to thai now being made
by the Americans II was known that
Myers had saved enough out Of his exJenses
for running AT different meetings To accumu-
/ late the snug sum OF 500 at the end 81 the
season. The English paper evidently hints
at similar practices in the following
Internationally one might wonder, not
being a sports secretary, that a handsome
case Of knives and forks appraised per
programme nj four guineas. or a gold
keyls~s watch, representing an additional
tadvertisedl value OF tweniy-one shilling-
should magnetic celebrities like Long
and Wadsley 10 a place like Royton. I
don't follow the game too intently now.
but " seems To ne that a lot OF pertinent
questions could h. asked Of present day
athl-,ic stars who nun AT meetings under the
supervision Of amateur associations and
which would not he bound To hc answered
truthfully. aud that they. together with
the promoters Of such me-.tings. could
under the influences ~ th. torture cham
I UT hNN hAk' hfNfA "Ah ~ "'NNA III
very interesting reading However. this
IL no AFFAIR ~ mine. and We may leave II
with the ol-ervaiion-a m Il applies In a
purely general sense-that II there were
no hypocrisy In the world. newspapers
would nave little TO talk about.
A Y Duty, who h. reported now as having
arrived at Boston on the same steamer as
the oxford and Cambridge athletes. SCORED
one or two more victories before leaving
for this country. He competed In what
proved q sensational raoe at AherRavenny
Just prior 90 sailing Duty came in hrst
Ia the 100 yards In . is seconds He won
hy four or Ave yards. hut wonderful sprint.r |
az tho tA-oreviown man IL, this time 10 he
yond his capabilities. The other com
~J-iitors rsis@d an objection on ~. ground
that Duffy had a fytng start. No race va.
Declared. and u vas nun over again. Duffy
did not turn out. and tho Welsh champion. |
& n LGndie. Won In . Is --cond. Al tn.
Celtic foothall Club sports a. Glasgow on
Aug : Duny won the loo yard invitation |
handicap from scrsinh tn 10 Is -~onds
Among IN. i~at-n men we're n~nnis Muir
raw, Irish champion. ~ yards, and J
Mclean. hlAckh-Ath Harr1~fz. Scottish
Champion. 4 ysrts l n. RArt-r won "a.
hish jump At tho same m--ting from swatch
viih 5 f--, 10 v~gcle-