The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-07-23

Holland, Sweden and Prussia may be particularly instanced.
 The time has passed when the riy- airy of competitors from abroad was welcome indeed, but far from formida- ble; and while we are now indebted to our visitors for much of the attractive ness of the years championships, there is no little cause for apprehension that
 we may have to congrat atulate some of them upon having made greater ad- vance than our own best men can show"
 Passing to the international matches, the Field indulges In a criticism of the unprogressiveness of the British in failing to provide more interscholastic play. In the United States not only do several of the universities hold tourn- aments for the schoolboys to the end of selecting a national interscholastic champion but the Public Schools Ath- letic League also recently has under taken a systematic plan of work in the game for the high school lads. The
 consideration of the points follows:
 'In the peculiar fitness of lawn ten his for international contests undoubt- edly lies one of its best features. It is, of course, possible to attach exces- sive importance in sport of all kinds to the few matches between experts of the first rank and especially the chos- en champions of different countries; but on the other hand there is good reason to believe that by such contests and by the example of those wo be- stow more time and pains upon games than the rank and file of players could profitably afford the games themselves
 are dignihed and recommended to the great advantage of those who are thus induced to cultivate them in modera- ton. It has justly been said of lawn tennis that it is the recreation of the
 busy man, but we should not on that account forget that in this country it has been perfected by few men of
 leisure who could spend summer after summer in tournament play.
 The advantage in the possession of
 such players as its representatives has hitherto belonged to our own country, and if we fall behind in the race it will be because otlr rivals have bal
 anced this either by greater athletic
 ability, by systematic and intellectual application or by training in youth.
 The last is most important consider ation, and it is in the failure of lawn tennis to gain a footing at English
 public schools while it is cultivated as- siduously at schools in America and
 our colonies that our first great defeat on English turf will be attributable.
 Defeat in these circumstances would apear to be inevitable, and it is not in itself to be greatly deplored when 1t
 comes, provided that it brings no dis couragement,
 Whether lawn teunis is a desirable
 addition to the school curriculum is for educa ationalists to consider, but
 however this may be, we are convinced
 that it Is indispensable for a large pro- portion of our youth, since it affords in
 an exceptional manner the exercise,
 the healthy stimulus, the unlimited vista of improvement, the mental and
 moral training that characterize games
 of the first class, while it is available
 to many for whom no other athletic recreation is equally suitable. It has been pointed out with great force that l in spite of eminent examples English players are neglectful of method as compared with their American rivals l in that they have no school for ac- quiring style comparable to that (which formerly existed in Dubin;. that l nya,, +hn hast ,,rOfaSsinpoI oool,ae I,o,.o been exported to the Continent, and
 that for new developments of strokes
 and tactics we have lately had to look abroad
 l Perhaps the loss of championship
 or two, to say nothing of the interna-
 tional trophy, which is shortly to be competed for and herewith the privi-
 lege of providing the ground for the
 contest, may be necessary to enforce these lessons, In that case the some- what mysterious abstention of our
 champion from this years contests
 regrettable as it may appear in the circumstances of the hour-may be a blessing in disguise. At any rate the | old, if not al the new, English admIr-
 CTS of lawn tennis will not grudge the winners of the championships or the
 Davis cup their victory. The present | year has already been one of whole-
 some criticism and the commencement | of reform. Lawn tennis has on the whole been fortunate until recently in it's administrators as well as it's play CTS.
 For the well drafted code of rules
 and the wise adoption of tennis tradi- l tions it has to thank the early fathers of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and for its world wide extension to no small degree the Lawn Tennis Associa-
 ton and the cognate body of the 1 United States, If the association can l effectively command the earnest and undivided support of it's constituents we may confidently hope not only that
 the credit of the game, somewhat rude l ly shaken by recent controversies, will 1 be restored, but that there will be no occurrence of the present difficulty of finding an international team and that our players will once more take fore-
 most part in the development of skill and ingenuity which the future is cer-
 tain to produce"
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 1 MYTHICAL ISLAND OF BUSS. !