Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-30

on the mat can recall being bored in the
extreme by wrestlers and becoming still
more tired when certain meetings between
alleged champions were announced.
Properly conducted there Is room for the
demonstration Of both arts. Taking a
consensus Of opinion Of many sportsmen
I have met lately. the majority is in favor
of any wrestling conducted on the lines
suggested week or two back. that OF
an open competition where every un-
known should have his chance. In fact,
no one be barred who wishes to enter.
Then we should get some real triers as
distinct from many who are nothing bet
ter than vaudeville gymnasts. They're all
right when we wish to pass an evening
in more or less melancholy fashion. but
what We want is to see hefty young fell
lows unspoiled trying to get to the fore
front of professions ism.
With the exception OF few sports pro-
fessiOnal encounters are always more at
tractive from the spectacular point or
view. I am rather surprised, that some
announcement Of a competition on the
lines suggested. l think they are afraid
that there would not be a sufficient num-
Der of entries and that It would not pay.
Some promoters want the earth ana
cannot break away from the conventional
way these tournaments have been Or
ganized. In common with many others
hold an entirely opposite view and were
we to be lucky enough this winter to
have an open tourney In Chicago, open.
say. to the state of illinois, there would
be crowds of friends of the contestants
apart from those wishing to see gen.
uine sporting event.
Put on Signorina Lucrezia Larghelto. or
Beautafill0-Dollo, from nowhere and no.
body cares, but assuming that you were
to have a try-out in the vaudeville line
Of a hundred young women of this dis
trict and theater would be packed. and
what is more their friends would pay
without the slightest hesitation.
The amateur wrestler, wOuld-be profess
sional and his friends and supporters all
would contribute by their attendance SO
many dollars to the Golfers OF the show,
a point about which promoters seem to be
SO doubtful.
I learn from my mail that American
motor car manufacturers are sweeping
all before them in England and are max
ing our own manufacturers sit up. The
own, and are being offered at prices
which bring them within the reach OF
people who until now had never dreamed
Of owning car.
Some OF our manufacturers are Gaining
for tariff remedies, but that they never
will get as long as there Is q liberal gov
eminent in power. What they have got
to do to meet American competition Is to
come right down to earth and sell the
Britisher a really good car at reason
have not done this, and it has remained
for the American once again to come in
and cheaper for US what Is now almost
necessity in present-day strenuous life.
Is 1t not strange-or. rather. Is 1t not
plain, simple fact-that good sportsman
ship counts everywhere? It certainly does
where I come from, and the big manu-
facturer and the big merchant who is a
good sportsman at heart invariably Is
supported by the British public. That
fine man, Sir Thomas Upton, owes much
of the popularity Of his teas and other
commodities to the fact that ne Is
right-down good old sport.
In fact. in Great Britain the shortest
road to public popularity and the biggest
public advertisement that a man can get
Is to own a few good racehorses and a
few fine hounds, and run them to win, to
win every time. The public, too. Is not
long in discerning who Is the natural
sportsman and who is only keeping horses
and dogs solely for personal profit.
Any man who can win the derby raises
monument to his name. II I were
asked which would rather have, a mil
lion dollars or to see my horse win the
Money don't count where sporting honors
are concerned, or, in fact, where honor
Of any sort Is concerned.
Because professional boxing Is barred in
this STATE Is no reason why aLIl1Seur IVA
ing should not still be the vogue. / should
like to see all the high schools of the
state Of Illinois and Of other states hold
an intercollegiate boxing tournament. 1t
might be divided into ages rather than
weights-say. under sixteen and over SIX
teen. I think It would prove Of inn
mense interest and benefit the boys. Who
would not be proud to be the champion
Of his year Of all the schools Of Illinois?
It would be an honor to treasure all
through life.
In England we have such tournament.