New-York tribune., 1901-07-02
GOLF.
.SpaR WHITNEY DECLINES TO TAKE
ISSUE on CHARGES AFFECTING
TRAVIS'S AMATEUR STANDING.

-, ,lavers who have been looking for a sub
...tson Of the charges made with so much
s'e,ce against Traviss amateur standing bv
..ar FeD whitney inclined to believe the in
cident Closed ~, ,,-.
.o",ing" attacked Travis in terms which chal-
-od the latter's right TO appear IN future anna
- - contests declaring that he had accepted con-
...ons which placed him in the professional ranks
- cballonge was directed chiefly against Travis's
-esrance at the South. where it intimated
~ he took free board and free transportation
- - several of the Southern resorts.
AGAINST these charges Travis maintained dig
,taed silence. r. II. Robertson president Of the
--,.ted States Golf Association. also took the
.a,d that IN the indefinite form in which the
herges were made, the executive committee of
.se United States Golf Association could not con-
,s,e,tlv recognize them If these charges had
tnen properly made with facts sustaining them
Ne Robertson declared his Willingness to take
them I'D in impartial trial.
Now that the burden has been thrown upon
r,n Mr.. Whitney seems reluctant to take action.
!, was generally supposed that the only course
omen that Of bringing forward his proofs. would
he eagerly taken advantage of. but. in the July
nouting" issued yesterday. Mr.. Whitney takes
refuge in srraignment of the motives Of those
at the associations head. He says:
r seems that I. in common with great many
Others ohca amateur sport have aitogether misunder-
stood the province of the United States Golf As
Gonv of Us of the impression that the scope
- The associations usefulness not intended
- he limited TO dining and sDeechifying and the
,nere spreading Of rules record most of us be
iiayed its interest in keeping the game free Of
.rofessionaiisrn be active and not n passive
below is what the president of the association has
- saw Of himself and his executive committee
snropos OF golfers. Messrs- Travis ana
lockwood. who took free transportation and board
rims into the golfng South last spring and there
~ under the canons of amateur sport, disqualified
themselves amateurs.
Here Mr. Whitney quotes Mr.. Robertson's state
-nsnt that the officers Of the association al
ways glad 10 consiier any complaints protests
criticisms when properly presented to them. with
facts given sustaining or bearing upon the griev
ance. He then continues:
Mr. Robcrtsons pronunciamento has the real
New or I-W7on t-look-ify yC,l-don t-rnake-rne fla
yor and Will bring cheer 10 the playing-for-free
board golfers, who appear to be
Increasing in the land.
Fortunately in the world OF amateur sport Mr..
Robertson's Interpretation Is unique
As for my charge against these golfers being
'Idle taik'-thoSe who have done me the honor of
backing up during my fifteen years Of humble
endeavors for clean sport have not found my
talk idle. Neither will the president of the golf
association ind it so-if he has the courage and
the real interest in the games welfare which the
president Of national sport association should
have.
Among the golfers generally the opinion seems
10 be that Mr Whitney has not helped his case
by assuming such attitude, and that until he
comes forward with specific facts no notice can
properly be taken OF his charge