Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-01
ATHLETIC FASHIONS
SET BY PRESIDENTS
TENNIS YIELDS TO GOLF AS TAFT
SUCCEEDS ROOSEVELT
Strenuous Executive Caused National
Revival of Almost Forgotten Sport,
and Present Administration
Is Watched Anxlously

/
clothes, like King Edward, but in the
! field of sports? These are questions
which are being asked by many persons
who are not interested in either game
as we'll as by a great many others9Who
are devoted followers of one sport OF
the other. Among the questioners are
those who remember RooseVelt's tennis
cabinet and note the efforts that are
being made in Washington to construct
a Taft golf cabinet. Some of them in
sist that the golf ball, hard and far
going, is more symbolical of Roosevelt,
and the larger, softer tennis ball OF
Taft. Others there are-members of the
famous Ananias club organized by our
only living ex-president with free men,
bership for all persons named by him
who assert just the contrary claiming
that the tennis ball well represents
Roosevelt, In that it is full of wind and
| light weight for its size, while the golf
ball, like Taft, is solid to the core and
a heavy weight to boot. In the end II
one wishes to take as the symbol or the
administration of either man one of
these two implements of sport the
choice il seems will rest largely on his
personal attitude. There is apparently
only one point of agreement, that 1t Is
| far more desirable to be hit by tennis
ball than by golf ball But although
Roosevelt gave some pretty hard
knocks Taft has as yet had no chance
| to demonstrate his ability In this line
SO even here the analogy is indeter-
inmate. Perhaps the question is of no
great moment anyhow.
Revival of Tennis
But among the real players, those
who actually indulge in one or the
other game because of a personal pre-
objection, the question is of large prac-
/ fY,fa &c fNf iT1lT0
to them, and not matter of pure idle
curiosity, to decide to what extent our
presidents set the fashions in sports,
and whether during the present admin
| istration tennis playing will decrease
and golf playing increase in popularity.
Prior to the Roosevelt administration
lawn tennis in this country had fallen
from it's once great popularity to the
stage where it was regarded as only a
ladies' game, little more strenuous
than croquet. Golf was steadily on the
gain in popular favor, and many ten
mis- players of note took it UP to the
exclusion of their former Cpastlme. Ten
mis- courts all over the country fell into
what the only ex-president living at
that time would have called ''innocu-
Gus desuetude." OF course the admin
istration at that time was not given to
athletics, but it may be noted as an
interesting coincidence that President
Mckinley, while he was never reported
as indulging in tennis, not infrequently
did play golf.
At any rate such was the condition
of affairs when Roosevelt came to the
presidency with his fondnesS for the
then almost forgotten game of tennis
What was the result Within the seven
years of his administration tennis has
not only regained all its former popu-
| larity, but has even far exceeded 1t
| Only last year a tennis team was SEM
to Australia, a thing which would MOI
have been dreamed of decade ago
People began to clamor for tennis ever
in winter, and the indoor courts II
the Sixty-ninth regiment armory In
this city, which each winter are the
scene of tournaments almost equaltns
those held out of doors in the summer
are reserved so far ahead that it is
practically impossible to get one. The
Hotel Gramatan in Bronxville, near
by suburb, which has one of the few
other covered or indoor courts here
abouts, is a Mecca for winter tennis
players also. All over the country more
persons are playing tennis than evel
before. Hundreds of them even &c
south for early practice. In wore
! tennis is once more supreme, and its
return has all come during the adj
ministration of the ex-president whose
/ ldNOIlle game II was
Golf the Coming Game
If Roosevelt has done this by setting
the athletic fashion, what is to bt
| looked for from golf-playing presl
dent? If golf spreads as rapidly II
the next four years as tennis In the
| past seven, nine out of every ten men
! women and children in the country vii
be indulging in the ancient and honor
able game by 1912.
Perhaps not so much will be heard
of President Tafts golf as was o.
President Roosevelt's tennis, when The
| burning question of the hour seemed t
| be whether. on the fenced-in White
House court, he had or had not de
feated a famous English prelate, o.
whether he would be victorious owe
the German emperor, could such {
match be arranged. But Presiden
Taft is no whit behind in enthusiasm
for the pastime which he champions
During his recent visit to New Yorl
only a few days before his Inaugural
ton, when anyone but an enthusias
would have worn a furrowed brow, /
was only the lack of a pair of Trousers
/ that kept him from going out to Ions
Island for a game of golf.
The matter happened in this way
One of the first persons to call on tn
then president-elect was Walter j
/ Travis, eX-amateur golf champion o
! the United States and England, ant
probably the best known player in tn
country, who is a personal friend o
Taft. Mr.. Travis lives at Garden Cit.
on Long island, a spot which his per
| sonal fame has done almost as mucl
to make the greatest golfing center o
| the east as has the presence of tW'
golf courses and club houses and 1T
famous country hotel. Not even
duffer at golf would think of COMING
to New York without visiting Gardel
City, trying one or both courses, am
admiring the trophies which the skill
of Travis has brought there.
Come out to Garden City, judge
and We'll get up foursome, said Mr.
4 Travis
The Judges" eyes twinkled as he re
Piled "Wen, I'd certainly like to. Blu
you see 1 came only for the day ant
l haven't any clubs
"Oh, that's all right" answered Ira
Wis, "well fix you with clubs.
And how do I know l could get int
your clubhouse" continued Mr.. Taft
Travis Is Stumped
well. you can. all right" answered
Mr.. Travis, his local pride coming tC
the front, land if you couldn't, tbs
hotel is about three minutes walk. ana
it would be big enough, l guess. Any
way, it's bigger than the one you're i,
now and a whole lot pleasanter, too
You can dress there"
"Dress-dress? cried Mr.. Taft, "bu
| forgot haven't any other clothes
here"
That stumped Mr.. Travis, He coul,
furnish anything up to the clothes, blu
as he glanced down at his own sub
stantial UNDERMINING and then com
pared it with the amplified eXpans