New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-04-26
READY FOR CUE BATTLE
Change IN Conditions Day Handican
1mericau PLAYERS.

The international amateur billiard championship
tournament the first ever arranged, will begin on
Tuesday the Liederkranz Club. No III East
5Sth street. Lucfen Re Role. the French expert
will be opposed to the strongest players in this
country including Calvin Demarest the national
champion and some brilliant play De looked
for Re Role appears be a slight favorite-
Discussion has been rife among amateur billiard
lists in the last week 70 the wisdom of ad-
yancing the baIN line and the weight and size Of
the ivory ball Even professionals have taken
hand in the controversy TO the 49, baIk line
and 4, ounce 25s inch full ball. conditions In
this country for amateur competition For that
matter the ball would also be new for professionals
But these are the important concessions by Ameri-
cans to the French which have brought about the
international championship Every detail Of the
tournament is such that there is parallel FOR
comparison in the history of the amateur game m
this country Heretofore among amateurs the game
has been 142 while amateurs and professionals
alike have used a slightly smaller. lighter ball
These changes have caused speculation and IN
certainty as to the outcome The play Of Lucien
Re> Role, the French expert. at the Liederkranz
clubhouse has demonstrated that he is easily the
master OF the conditions His best run was III and
his average nearly 10, and yet he has not exerted
himself His perfectly correct manipulation Of the
spheres together with his deliberate execution
has in all games carried him along an easy winner
None Of the home amateurs has quite equaiIed
the F-renchuan's average although ]. Ferdinand
Poggenburg Edward W. Gardner, Calvin Denla-
rest and Charles F. Conklin have each held 10 a
steadiness ending with an average approxinat'np
L. Gardner has worked cut a Of an even 100
Poggenburg ~ and Dernarest and Conkin several
in the seventies
So good a professional as Mclaughlin, who will
referee the tournament, has fallen behind in play
ing against Re Role. Having played az his life
with a smaller lighter ball, Mclaughlin finds him
self overpIayfng or underpIaying his shots In
his opinon the Americans will be thus handicapped
against Re Role in the tournament He agrees
that the French are moving in the right direction
when they attempt to establish the same standard
for amateur and professional alike but for the
moment the Americans have had too little time
TO accustom themselves TO the change. Maurice
DAILY and George SIosson also agree in this re-
spect. and point out that hereafter the Americans
of the top flight must confne their play 10 the
French standard of ivory sphere
Contrary to expectation the ocean voyage has
sessions at the table he found that he was
ing spendidy, and he has recently been content
to take things easily
The subscriptions for seats from the club men,
bers Of the various organizations in the city have
indicated the interest aroused by the tournament
The four hundred point matches are regarded
severe tests and American followers of billiards.
while hoping that Of their countrymen viii
capture the cup and title. in way confident.
The schedule of the opening games was an
nounced last night. as follows Tuesday evening
Poggenburg VS. Re Role; Wednesday afternoon.
ConkIin VS. Poggenburg. Wednesday evening,
Demarest VS. Gardner.