The Washington times., 1910-05-16
Fully Qualified TO Represent
America at International
Conference.
PROMINENT BRITONS
SUPPORT MOVEMENT
Openly Advocate Art of Self-De-
Tense and Sport Grows
Rapidly.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

By THOMAS S. RICE.
Boxing was probably never on such a
healthy basis and so much in popular
favor in England and her colonies as
today.
Instead OF being retarded by the pros
tests and means of the professional re-
formers who cannot see that 1t is better
Tor men to learn 70 use their fists in
stead of knife or a gun the sport Is
growing with leaps and bounds. both
among the professionals and amateurs.
It is spreading in the army. navy ath-
letic clubs. public schools. church set
Elements. Fairgrounds. and other places
where normal, red-blooded humans are
20 be found in the tight little island and
IN her possessions over sea
BrOad-minded EngIishmen Of brains
and intelligence are openly lending their
aid to a sport which has done more 10
spread the British reputation for valOr
and prOmptness in defending themselves
than all the shooting and killing they
have ever done, and has made foreign
eTs Of other races extremely Chary of
taCkling them when abroad This has
had a marked tendency toward keeping
Britishers and Americans out OF trouble
in strange countries. fact well appTe-
ciated by travellers and historians. and
easiIv. understood except by such mental
freaks as those who passed laws max
Ing il Illegal even TO exhibit pictures
OF pugflistic contests in Maine and Iowa
in the land Of the free and the home of
the brave, fOrsOOth-
International Board
With the idea Of putting the sport on
q higher plane and making It more and
Of h.
British and other fist-using, instead Of
knife-wieIding. nations Sporting Life. Of
London. Is persistently sticking 10 its
campaign for the formation Of an inter
national board TO TX the weights and
conditions under which the champion
ships of the world shall be fought
The substance Of this is that the board
shall consist Of men Of the highest
class Of craftsmanship two representa-
tives from the United States, two from
Great Britain, and one each from
France and Australasia This board is
TO have a definite say about who IS
the worlds champion in each class, and
provide suitable trophies for the holders
OF the titles
England, France, and Australasia have
already taken to the idea with avidity
and the board Is practically q fact so far
as they are concerned It only remains
now TO bring in America. which wiz be
the hardest task OF all
Sporting Life has Just issued a PAM
phlet Of tvyenty-four pages in which the
scheme is first outlined and then the
opinions Of newspaper writer's. promOt-
erE. and boxers from all countries IN
The proposed union, reprinted from its
lcolumns- The English interviews and
letters present an imposing array OF
names Of prominent men who have the
.bOldness 70 come out for the sport, a
marked contrast TO the hypocriticaI atti-
tUde in the United States. where a public
official would certainly suffer IT his
standing II he had the hardihood to
speak a word for boxing, and where It
Is considered a reckless and damaging
confession Of a state Of moral Ieprosy
fer an eminent parsonage TO witness a
good clean contest
EIg3iShmen Are Frank.
Among the EngIishn,en quoted who
have given their hearty approval to the
international board are Rear Admiral
Hon. V A 1Iontagu, C b Col c. Nal
csln Fox, Sir Claude Oh De Crespigny.
Bart: Count HoIIender, Major W F. q
Percy, Nineteenth Hussars: Capt ".
Sykes, third dragon guards: Lieut.. J.
ECWles. first Irish guards and Lieut.
Sebag-Montefiore fifth ROYAL irish lane
ers- Lord LOnsdale approves and is al
ready giving belts 10 British CHAMPIONS
Think, or nay cOuntrymen. what a
howl would go up II a list Of Arneri-
cans Ike that were to encourage reEu-
lated pugilismt The entire postal
force Of the country would have to =le
doubled to handle the appeals sent out
bE professional refOrmers Tor funds to
fight the hydra-headed monster Every
representative CT a Chin-WhisheTs con-
Stituency in Congress would have to
hiast his way with dynamite TO his
private office through the accumuIa-
non OF petitions for the instant dis
1niSSal, drawing, hanging. and quarter
5nE OF the army and navy offers who
mad the temerity TO come from behind
ne screen Of anOnyulinity and give
their moral backing to boxing The
death vail IN the GATHERINGS Of the
pure--T hite-SOuled ana the chronic des-
lalreTs OF the republic, over the demise
OF al order and deCency would reach
from the Canadian line to the head
quarters OF the female social investi-
gators on the Panama Canal
Quotes The Times.
Following the English opinions come
those Of American newspapers and On
1husiasts favorable 20 the board idea.
Among those quoted are The Washing
ton Times Boston Journal PhladeI-l
phia Evening Bulletin, New York
Morning Telegraph. New York Globe
Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin. Boston
Traveller, Boston Herald. New York