New-York tribune., 1911-12-21
No WOMEN'S TOURNEY
Iodoor Lawn Tennis Champion
shin To Be Passed This Year.
LITTLE INTEREST SHOWN
7th Regiment Tennis Club Com
pelled to Do Away with
Annual Fixture.

n.,,,cn lawn tennis players will b'
.,,ced 10 forego the excitement of com
..irx m the national indoor lawn tennis
.son,nioDship this season After careful
.o1s{deration Of the situation the officials
y ,be eth Regiment Tennis Club arrived
:, ,bis decision, their final action in passing
,,s tournament being based upon the lack
:. s,nport which the women have shown
toward the meeting.
Among the leading women players in this
.,ty The action Of the eth Regiment was
-, entirely unexpected. Stil II was a
.tcrt 10 those who have valiantly en-
1.eyored 10 place the womens game I'm this
,ourt-v on the same high plane which II
,,,ov, IN England. They deplored the fact
that the courts Of the armory At 66th street
s,6 Park avenue we're to he closed against
ere championship. always feature OF the
,,nter's play. as there Is no other organ-
cation I'm this city where such tourna-
men, may be conducted.
Il was pointed out that Miss Marie Wag-
,er the present holder Of the singles cham
n,orsbip title: Miss Elizabeth H. Moore
Mrs Frederick Schmitz. both former cham
Mons: Miss Clara Kuttroff and few others
have " orked zealously TO develop women'S
competitive play in tournaments. At best
Il has been a difficult task and consequently
,he raising Of the indoor national at this
tine serves as a crushing blow toward
further efforts I'm this direction.
The statement as TO the passing Of the
vomenS championship was made yesterday
hy William B. Cragin. jr., Who will act as
referee Of the mems indoor national tour
nament. which win begin on Saturday Feb
rrary 10. and continue through the follow
ing week. He stated that the taking up OF
the women's championship few years age
was I'm the nature Of an experiment: that
Appsrently a very limited number had APP
rreoiated the effort on their behalf and
that last season the tournament was Sc
poorly supported that the decision Just
made was inevitable. IT was possible hC
added that the eth Regiment might revive
the championship another year If there
were evidences Of stronger interest and
adequate support.
one of the leading women players wher
told that the championship would be passed
this year was not surprised. but expressed
her Indignation. She said that the fault
Law entirely with the women-that NOR
than one hundred women were playing or
the courts Of the eth Regiment Armory
each Wednesday and Saturday through the
courtesy Of the regimental<tennis organiza-
ton She felt that these women should
naturally support the championship tour
Hament Yet when the entry list was
opened scarcely more than ten or a dozer
81 the number would enter. the others per-
sstentlv refused on the ground that they
were not sklful enough. Each year she
said there had been fully as many. If not
more. entries from outside the regiment as
from among those playing on its courts.
II the women did not care enough 20 COM
pete in the tournament il was not TO be
wondered at that the regiment had decided
not 10 hold it.
There would have been no tournament
last season had II not been for the in
defsucable work Of Mrs. Schmits," de
dared one Of the women players And
& gen she, with all OF her prestige and pop
ulsrity. found it almost impossible 10 get
women to enter. The truth of the matter
e. In my opinion. women are poor sports.
They seem 10 want q guarantee that they
will win or they won't play. There are
plenty Of girls who never miss a day dur
ing the indoor season on the courts who
play srlendidly. but no amount Of argu-
rent or coaXing can induce them to enter
'he tournament Now that It has been
decided not 10 hold the national champion
shin II would not surprise me TO hear walls
of lamentation-and those who will make
the most fuss about n are the very ones
who could not be induced 10 enter the tour
usment under any circumstances.
The action Of the 7th Regiment officials
is IN line with that followed several sea-
sens ago, notably by the West Side Tennis
cub when IL omitted womens events from
the metropolitan championship. From time
- time il has been the complaint OF those
connected with tournament committees in
ana about this city that II was almost inn
possible 10 secure an adequate field 10 play
for the prizes offered for women's events.
Only last July the Hudson River champion
ship ar the Dunwoodie Country club was
obliged 20 cancel the women's doubles, and
'ne womens singles was PLAYED with only
four actual competitors. The women Of the
West Side Tennis club upon their own
initiative have played a separate tourna-
ment f'r the metropolitan title. deciding
iHe event I'm October instead Of June. when
The mems championship division is played
The news that the women's champion
snip was not 10 he decided came as d dis
appointment 10 Miss adelaide Browning.
Of The Ardsley Casino. Miss Browning has
h'an diligently putting the finishing touches
upon her game a. tho Indoor Tennis Club,
u West 4lSt street under the coaching OF
surns. tho professional While I'm the East
R't season Miss Hazel IIotchkiss tho Cali
iornia girl, who holds tho national outdoor
uie. was the guest Of Miss Browning,
and coached her 10 a considerable degree.
several Of tho women players suggested
That an effort be made 10 have one Of the
cher regiments take up the tournament.
and it is possible that something Will be
con' in this direction
There win be- plenty Of indoor play for
n'n through the winter. however, for the
Iesinental championship tournament of the
Hb Regiment Will begin on SATURDAY, De
''Hlpef p. Championship singles and
,plples vii be PLAYED and two class handl-
taB singles events. The COmmistce in
tafge of thc tournament includes. Will
Tm 4. tragip. jr.. Harry Follett. William
others
PORTS COMMERCE. GR0WS