The times., 1901-03-09
LAWSON AND THE CUP.
The Question of the Eligibility of
the Indepepdence.


NEW YORK, March SIT seems prob
able that Thomas W. Lawson viii have
had his trouble for nothing in building
the yacht Independence unless he con-
seuts TO have her sailed under the name
and colors OF a member of the New York
Yacht Club in the trial races for the
honor OF defending the Americas Cup
against Sir Thomas Lipton's challenge.
Statements made yesterday by an infiuen-
tial member of the organization which
has had charge Of the cups defence ever
since the trophy came to this side of the
Atlantic were to the effect that the Cup
Committee would not construe otherwise
than strictly the club rules under which
the competition is open only to the club 5
members. and that the fact that Mr..
Lawson vas assuming an expense of at
least !l500O0 would not be considered
grounds Tor an invitation TO him 10 enter
the trial races.
Action, it is understood, will be deferred
until the Boston boat is brought to the
starting line for the first trial race. The
fact that the Independence Is ineligible
will then be communicated to Mr. Law
son. and whatever develops then viii de-
pend upon the course of the Boston
yachtsman. His boat will not be allowed
in the race unless she is transferred TO
member of the New York Yacht Club,
carries that members flag. and is enter
ed in the clubs records.
The member who told OF the clubs at
tftude toward the Boston man and his
boat said:
Mr.. Lawson is not a member of the
club, and according to our rules he is not
in "A position to enter his yacht in any of
our races. These are for members only,
and the only time that this rule is broken
is when foreign yacht is in these wa
ters. when the owner has sometimes been
invited to take part. This is a special
rule in the races for the Astor cups, and
it was the same in all the races for the
Goelet cups If the Independence flies the
flag of a member of the club and is reg
uIarIy enrolled in the fleet she can enter
any races. including the trials for the cup;
and if fast enough to defeat the Columbia
and the new yacht being built at HERE
shoff S she can be selected by the Cup
Committee to represent the club in the in
ternational races.
Another reason why Mr.. Lawson will
not be invited to take part in the trial
races is that he was once proposed for
in the club but the commit
tee declined to pass on the application,
and friends were asked to withdraw his
name If they had persisted, of course
Mr. Lawson would have been defeat at
tbp election. The same thing happened I
i'm The Eastern Yacht Club. and the only /
yacht club of which Mr.. Lawson IS a /.
is the HulI-MaS aSSaChuSetts Club. /
Now, ii would look very strange if the 7
New York Yacht Club should invite a (
man TO take part in its races after hay T
ing refused to allow him to become /
member of its club.
gNr.rsaa fF4~g ha
other owners Of the America turned over /
to the New York Yacht Club the trophy /
that has become so famous, they decided (
it to be a perpC ual challenge cup. sub /
ieCt 10 challenge by yachts owned i'm for
eign countries the races to be sailed J
under the rules of the New York Yacht .
club as long as II held the cup. Ihe
for entry in competitions /
held by the club are stated in Rule ~ /
and in Chapter " of the bylaws, which /
say:
club race unless her ownership, rig ton
mage. dimensions. and measurement for /
time allowance, as computed by the
measlIrcr in accordance with the rules of Z
the club are on record with the secretary
and a true model deposited with him.
mo yacht shall be entitled to repre-
until she shall have been regis
tered on the club S record in the name OF /
her owner or owners; shall have been
and q certificate signed by the
measurer flied with the secretary specI-
fying her dimensions and rig
Mr.. Lawson has friends here VINO are
inclined to resent the view taken by the
organization that has defended the cup
successfully through so many years at 4
cost of many thousands of dollars: while
It's members have spent fortunes for de-
tending yachts. Mr.. Lawson 5 friends say
NAT it will he an arbitrary ruling which /
viii exclude the Boston boat. They point
,ut that the Atlantic, which was built by
4 syndicate. was allowed to enter the cup
.rials in 1886. Most of the members of the
;yndicate were, however, New York Yacht
Club members, and the Atlantic was
sailed under the management of Latham
A. Fish. for years a leading member of
The club Mr.. LawsOns friends also In
stance the case of the Pilgrim. n syndi-
cate of Boston yachtsmen built the Pill
grim which sailed in the trials r. Suy-
lam Palmer and Bayard Thayer, of the
syndicate were members of the New
York Yacht Club. and the Pilgrim sailed
Inder Mr. Palmer's colors. Gen. Charles
T. Paine who, Mr. Lawson's friends say
s a Boston yachtsman. was elected
member of the New York Yacht Club in
$50.