The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-28
TENNIS GIVES
 WAY TO GOLF Big Boost to the Ancient u. Game. TAFT AS ITS DEvoIEE Travis Wanted to Try Him a
 Game. Some of the Evidenre of the r.ssAns Given tse Interests in AtllAsic
 Games by Presiden'ts
 Devotion to Them. 

New York, March 27.-Is the tennis ball era about to wax. politically and economically, as we'll as in the field of sport? Do our presidents act as arbit- CTS of fashions, not in the matter of clothes, like King Edward, but in the field of sports? These are questions which are being asked by many per- sons who are not interested in either game, as well as great many others who are devsted followers of one sport or the other. Among the question. CTS are those who remember Roose velt's tennis cabinet and note the eff forts that are being made in Washing ton to construct a Taft golf cabinet. Some of them insist that the golf ball. hard and far going. is more symbo1fcal 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-presi- dent with free membership for all per sons named by him who assert just the contrary, claming that the tennis ball well represents Roosevelt in that 1t is full of wind and light weight for It's size, while the golf ball like Taft IS solid to the core and a heavy weight to boot. In the end if one wishes to be taken as the symbol of the admins tration of either man one of these two implements of sport the choice 1t seems will rest largely on his personal at- titude. There Is apparently only one point of agreement, that 1t is far more desirable to be hit by a tennis ball than a golf ball. But although Roose- welt gave some pretty hard knocks, Taft has as yet had no chance to dem- n his a ahfIffv ip fhiS lna Go even here the analogy is indeterminate Perhaps the question is of no great moment anyhow.
 The Real Players.
 But among the real players, those who actually indulge in one or the other game because of personal pre- affection, the question is of large prac- tical interest. It is of some impor- tance 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 administration tennis playing will decrease and golf playing increase in popularity. Prior to the Roosevelt administration lawn tennis in this country had fallen from its once great popularity to the stage where 1t was regarded as only a ladies' game, a lit- tie more strenuous than croquet. Golf was SIchutly OH tHc gain III pUpuldF favor, and many tennis players of note took it up to the exclusion of their former pastime. Tennis courts all over the country fell into what the only ex-presidents living at that time would have called 'innocuous desuetude." Of course the administration at that time was not given to athletics but it may be noted as an interesting coinci- dence 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 Nthe seven years of his administration ten his has not only regained all its for mer popularity but has even far ex- ceeded it. Only last year tennis team was sent to Australia. thing which would not have been dreamed of a decade ago. People began to clamor for tennis even In winter and the indoor courts in the 6sth Regiment Armory in this city, which each winter are the scene of tournaments almost equalling those held out doors in the summer, are reserved so far ahead that 1t is practically impossible to get one. The Hotel Gramatan in Bronxville. nearby suburb. which has one of the few other covered or, indoor courts hereabouts, is for winter tennis play CTS also All over the country more persons are playing tennis than ever before. Hundreds of them even go South for early practice. In a word tennis is once more supreme, and its return has all come during the adminis- tation of the ex-president whose favorite game Is tennis
 If Roosevelt has done this by setting the athletic fashion, what is to be look cd for from a golf-playing president? If golf spreads as rapidly in the next four years as tennis in the past seven. nine out of every ten men, women and children in the country will be in dulging in the ancient and honorable game by 1912.
 Perhaps not so much will be heard of President -Tafts golf as was of President Roosevelts tennis. when the burning question of the hour seemed to be whether on the fenced-in White House court he had or had not defeat