New-York tribune., 1909-07-16
LONDON NOTES
Disaster en- athletics The AUCTION
Room and the Theatre.
London. july Z.

lapses. The Australian cricketers have won two
out Of the three test matches; the American
polo players have completely outclassed their
English rivals; German athlete has defeated
all competitors in swimming and English run
ners have been left behind by Americans. Ger
mans and Colonials in the 1OO-yard dash. the
, 220-yard race and the half-rnile. Even If the
Belgians defeated at Henley for the Grand
Challenge Cup-and the regatta is still in prog
ress while I writing this letter-there has
been so much bad luck that pessimists are be-
wailing British decadence in sport and anxious
Investigators are seeking to explain it. If there
be a loss OF prestige certainly 1t is not from any
lack of public interest and support In other
country does the daily press give more atten-
! tion to sport. is there a larger attendance
Of spectators when Mr.. Kipling's muddied OATS
and fanneld fools striving for the mastery
The English defeats by Australia have been
taken to heart most seriously because cricket is
| the tme-honored national game and a picked
eleven. while 1t may be at a disadvantage when
exposed to changes Of climate in the South
Seas, is ordinarily invincibIe on the home
wicket. The visitors are excellent fielders but
they have not been considered great team
either from their bowling or their batting They
nave made poor record In their contests with
the best county elevens. and were completely
outclassed in their first test match and subse-
quently they pulled themselves together and
outplayed and crumpled up on easy wfckets the
best English cricketers. The experts have been
demoralized by these unexpected results The
selection committee for the remaining matches
| is overwhelmed with conflicting advice and
warnings. The collapse of two eIevens recruited
from the best batsnen and bowlers in the king
dom IS attributed to nervousness. lack of grit
! and young blood, the presence Of TOO many vet
| erans' jealousies among the players and many
other causes and radical changes are recon-
mended as indispensable if the next two matches
are 70 DC Won and the prestige OF the old coun-
try vindicated in the time -honored sport
The most reasonable explanation Of the sue
cess Of the Australian crcketers is superioritv
In combination. Individually they are matched
by the English bowIers heIders and batsrnen;
but collectively they are more effective because
they work together from beginning 10 end In
contrast with this unity Of direction and sub
ordination Of individual interests is the ragged
| and half-hearted play Of the English team.
whose men are constantly engrossed with their
own averages, percentages and records and in
disposed 70 make sacrifices and 10 labor for the
common good. The veterans Of the county
elevens when chosen for a test match by virtue
Of their regulations play together for the first
time. and are not strong as d combination Of all
the talents. The captain lacks authority over
his men, and they fail TO forget themselves in
their work. When one stalwart batsman goes
down like a schoolboy on a village wicket those
following him are either reckless or tirnid and
cannot offer effective resistance TO the bowling
The same players will return the day after the
disaster 10 their county elevens and do as brill
fant work as ever; but meanwhile the Austria
Ians have succeeded in knocking them out by
superior work as a combination.
The victory Of the Americans at polo is 10 be
explained in the same way Too much was said
at the outset about the ponies and too little
about the men. The American ponies may have
been IN better condition for hard and fast rid
ing and charging but when the English team
had the pick OF the stables and breeding farms
there was little choice between the strings. 1t
was as a combination that the American team
was invincible in both matches. The four had
played together so constantly that they seemed
10 read one anothers minds and % know on the
instant what each would do The English rivals
might think Of one manoeuvre OF another. but
before they were ready 10 start one Of the Amer
lean players would be already halfway and his
associates would be supporting him Mr. Whit
new while perhaps the weakest player on his
side, was unrivalled a captain His control
over his men was perfect. he directed every de-
tail Of the field work. and was entitled 10 the
lions share of the credit for beating two Eng
Isb teams on their own ground and at their
|
own sport.
In one respect. at least the English remain
nation Of sportsuen. They take a beating well
and honor those who outclass or outplay them
AZ anv sport The Australians are cheered as
heartily when they win test match as the vet
erans and favorites Of the crack English elevens
would be II the scores were reversed The
American polo team might have been playing
+bie v.aale on their own grounds. 50 loud the
anrIause when they won the cup and gen
erous was the appreciation when the light blue
borsAr,en disn1ounted and were presented to the
prince and Princess Of Wales. Perhaps the
most svrpathetic moment was when Mr- Nil
burn was thrown from his pony and nearly
crushed in a melee Of trampling hoofs and whlri-
,a no,o sticks but in moment he was again
in the saddle. charging after the oaH-an Anglo
saxon sportsman whose grit and daring made
hin, the hero of an English audience Not
,,,ord has been written in disparagement Of the
,,,artcsn borsen7en. Their superiority at every
-, 90 r1a,- has been recognized without dis
-. sror, any expert and their rivals have been
,,., told that they will have TO work more
at.orro,,s1,, think more quickly and wake up
-,1I,. - the cup is ever 10 be regatned 10
st. credit be il said that the English are never
-. .,or+snoanlike than when they are de-
cisively beaten.
~, saIe of a Rembrandt at Christie's Is an
International event owing 70 the Nisoi0US
.4,+io, from various capitals for any undls-
Pe'''I0 -. ~, the leader of the Dutch school.
..,,.oa,+ from, the Cross from Skirw1th
-. tos not excited suspicion. although 1t Is
18th version OF the subject in oils and the
-. :, the etchings are counted The earliest
- ,a,r+ed in 1888 not long after The Lesson
=, .o+ov,I-' and is among the treasures OF the