The Detroit times., 1912-10-12
BY w. G. SHEPHERD.

Sir Thomas Upton is headed for the
United States to challenge. for the
fourth time, for the Americas cup
the trophy. which. owing to the un-
sportsmanlike stand OF the New York
Yacht club, Is known through Eur
ope as the Cup that smells Ito heay.
en-"
When visited Upton ON the Erin
he showed me 200 trophYes-a price
less array-snatched from kings and
emperors or offered by them for CON-
petition; loving cups from Americans.
one purchased with flye-cent contri-
buttons OF school children from San
Diego to New York, and two silk
American flags, made by school chill
dren.
II know they like me." he said.
because | have here the tokens OF
their regard. You can't tell me Amer
leans don't want To give me a falr
chance at the cuntA
Tell me why you don't get a fair
chance. Who prevents you?" I asked.
Not more than Is men prevent
changing the rules to permit Euro
pean nations fair race"
who heads the coterie?"
THE greatest opponent OF fair play
is Cass Ledyard OF New York"
Then | asked him the question
which covers the hidden power and
silences American yachtsmen when
the cup scandal is mentioned. Ameri-
can yachtslDen here told me the cup
"smelled to high heaven" but refused
to be quoted. all admitted they fear
ed the unnamed influence.
rHow does j. p. Morgan stand up
,sh the question OF fair play?"
. why. Cass Ledyard Is Mr.. Nor
gan's attorney" Sir Thomas said with
a twinkle in his eye, and a queer
smile.
asked him II he had talked to
Morgan about the rules and he said
that he had. during a dinner at which
both were the guests OF European
monarch Morgan shut up when Lip
ton mentioned the cup rules.
And Morgan is II. That grim,
beady-eyed, bushy eye-browed, silent
man who rules government and
finance, is, by his ruthless unfairness,
disgraclng Americans In the eyes or
Europe, over the blue ribbon of the
sea.
! Would you be willing to forget the
Americas cup and compete for a
( trophy provided by the people of the
| United States?' | asked.
That's American all over" he
laughed. THE people are for de-
/ cency.
NO. couldn't race for such a
cup. You see, the Americas cup Is
the blue ribbon of yachting. and IL
must be that cup or no race"
What rule changes are necessary
before you will challenger" I asked.
THE changes are so simple I'm
astonished I have not been able 70
secure them. ask that the race be
sailed under American racing rules
in the United States Is sailed under
save one-that for the Americas
cup. No other club would race uh-
der the rules | want changed.
IF I asked for a race under Inter
national rules, they'd have right 70
kick. but ask a race under the
American rules. DO you get the
Ipoint?"
Are the rules technical?'
mo. I'll explain them. The schoon-
er America, which won the cup, Is To
day a fine boat, capable of crossing
the ocean. After the cup was won IL
was given to the New York Yacht
club to hold against all comers Tie
rules called for a boat OF 90-foot wat
er line. sloop rig. In those days, be-
fore the freak racers, these proyi-
sions meant a strong, useful craft.
But designers began producing
freaks. This caused yachtsmen 10
settle on more rigid rules, so the
International and Universal ratings
we're adopted, the United States ADOPT
ing the latter.
"All yacht races the world over are
governed by one OF these ratings
with the exception OF that for Amer
ica's cup.
"The challenger must cross the At
lantic on her own bottom. Shamrock
". reached the United States with
400 rivets missing, and for a week
we had a hard time keeping her
afloat
The American boat that beat her
was built to the rules--a 90-foot wat
er line, sloop rigged craft. Her spar
was gigantic: her sail area almost un
believable; her deck was 140 feet
long, I think and she had tremendous
overhangs This made possible a vast
fly longer boom than Shamrock had
and also larger crew. She was not
submitted to the strain OF the ocear
passage.
"She was like delicate violin. and
TO beat her I would need a similal
violin. which could not cross th'
ocean.
Under the Universal rules we WI
have yachts that can cross the ocean
, They will be good. useful yachts ths
! will set the builders 10 developing
real boats instead OF freaks.