The Washington times., 1907-07-14
OLD ENGLAND GOING BACK
IN ALL ATHLETIC GAMES
Brtons, Formerly Masters Now Being Beaten With Per-
sstent Regularity by Their PupiIs-Americans
Take Two Tennis Titles Away
By RICHARD DAHLGREN.

LONDON, July 12.-Is old England
losing her grip on all forms OF sport?
Once she stood at the top, but now a de-
cline has set in. This sad fact IS pointed
out by Yorkshireman who has returned
10 old England after an absence Of if
teen years. In a most interesting let
ter 10 a London daily ne says:
When l left home fifteen years ago
English sportsmen were pre-eminent all
the world over. Now there is scarcely
a championship remaining TO us. A Bel
gian crew holds the Grand Challenge
Gu at Henley. the professional scuIling
championship is in the possession OF an
Australian, the wrestling champion Of
the world is n Russian. all the great
professional boxers of recent years are
Americans. at running. teams from Har-
ward and Yale CAME over and beat the
picked athletes Of our universities, and
we have recently lost our title at ten
mis- TO the son OF an American million
aire.
Glory Fast Departing.
".Iven in purely British games such as
cricket and football our glory has to a
certain extent departed. Cricketers from
Australia and South Africa now meet
Us upon equal terms instead Of coming
here to learn how 10 play the game
correctly. The pupil has progressed be-
yond the master. and now we are the
learners, both in batting and bowling.
AT football our case appears to be
hopeless. In successive years teams
from New Zealand and South Africa
have made triumphal progresses through
the country, not only defeating. but
routing all the teams opposed to them.
"And now, to crown all, a Frenchman
has won the golf championship. and
Scotland shares with England the dis
grace Of being defeated by a stranger
ar her national game. believe we can
sim hold our own at hockey, perhaps
at bowls. but there our superiority
ends.
Il can only put down our decadence
TO lack Of enthusiasm and ultra-con-
servatlsm We are content to jog on
in the same old way, while other ma
tons are improving their methods and
implements with each succeeding year,
and unless we follow their example we
snail be speedily left behind in the
race for honors."
The YOrkshireman is not alone in his
sorrow over the defeats of his country
men, The victories OF Miss Sutton. Jay
Could and the Belgian oarsmen have
been taken very seriously to heart by
British editors. They make siclty COM
ments on the decadence Of British sport,
which made the victories Of foreigners
possible
Dixie Has Good Chance.
The cable informs me that the racing
motor boat Dixie. owned by Commodore
Schroeder. of the Motor Boat Club OF
America. is now on the deck of the
steamer Minneapolis. bound for Eng
land. where she is to take part in the
great international motor boat cham
pionship races. The trophy Of the cham
pionship is now held here. and is a much
coveted prize. The Dixie is the chaf-
lenger, and IL latest advices received
prove truthful. there is no known rea-
son at this time why she viii not add
additional Iaurels OF a championship ma
ture. The races will take place in
southampton waters of the Isle OF