New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-25
MIXED RACES WOULD
DESTROY AMATEUR|SM
lanes {. Sullivan Holly Attacks
Proposal to Allow Jones to
Meet Professional.
WANTS EVEN FINER LINES
Mr.. Kirby's Ideas Ridiculous,
He Says-Two Glasses of
Athletes Can Never
Meet on Even Terms.

statement maze Dy GuStaVus lOWne
Kirby. president Of the Amateur Athletic
Union and the Intercollegiate Athletic
Association Of Amateur Athletes, advo-
eating "nixed races" or competition be-
tween amateur and professional athletes.
Mr.. Sullivan declares that he cannot I'M
derstand the sudden change of heart that
must have come over Mr.. Kirby. He
cbaracterizes the whole idea as ridicu-
rous on the surface, and ventures a
prophecy that the Amateur Athletic
Union will never countenance any such
proposition.
Mr. Sullivan says that to permit q
match between amateurs and profession
ais would be to introduce the opening
wedge to the destruction Of the higher
ideals of amateurism. He declares that
the true amateur takes the same view,
and that the great majority are opposed
TO the introduction of professionals into
their competitions.
In taking the matter further Mr.. Sui
Ivan suggests that the intercollegiate
Association of Amateur Athletes try the
scheme and watch the result In refut-
Ing the charge that the lines of amateur
ism are drawn too fine Mr.. Sullivan states,
that they are not nor could they be too
finely drawn, and says that from year to
year. at the annual meetings. ways and
means will be devised of building up the
power of the Amateur Athletic Union
for the protection of those who indulge IN
sport for sports sake.
In his statement Mr.. Sullivan says in
Fart:
THE proposition is not a new one at
all. For more than thirty years those
who have had in their charge the safe
guarding of amateur track and field attn
letics have had to battle with the same
proposition heretofore advanced by pro-
fessional promoters and professional foot
racers.
THE history of athletics certainly is
familiar to those who have made study
of athletics Professionalism killed the
Olympic games, so the historians tell us,
and the terms professional and anna
teur' came TO us from the fact that at
one time in sport amateurs and profess
SIGNALS did compete together. But cor
ruption, betting and dishonesty crept In,
with the result that those who competed
for the love Of athletics found they were
compelled TO compete against those VINO
had decided to make athletics their liveli-
hood.
.In America the very first athletic
games we ever had were thrown open TO
professionals and amateurs, and men like
Father Bill Curtis who was equally
strong advocate of amateurism for anna
.eur athletes and professionalism for pro-
fessional athletes, said> then that sport
would never advance if the professional
was allowed TO compete with the amateur
on an equal footing, either for prize,
bet or for simple honors
THE ideas advanced by Mr.. Kirby are
ridiculous in the eyes Of veteran sports
men. OF course, If the intercollegiate AS
ISOLATION decides that it is a good thing
,or Yale or Harvard to have professions
contest with their amateurs. or II they
approve of the professional physical d.
rectors at the Springfield Training School
competing with their amateurs, tnat is all
right for the intercollegiate Association
but The Amateur Athletic Union of the
United States will never tolerate any
such proposition, unless l underestimate
the men who comprise the governing
board Of the Amateur Athletic union OF
the United States.
"Mr. Kirby seems TO forget that the
present healthy condition Of athletics IN
America, the present playground move
ment in America, and the fact thai men
OF religion, education and the officials OF
city, state and nation have taKen over
athletics, Is due primarily to the Work OF
tho Amateur Athletic Union ofncia1s VINO
have been battling all their lives to place
athletics on a sound, solid ana suostah-
tial basis. This could never nave peen
ACCOMPLISHED unless the Amateur Athleuc
Union OF the United States and other
governing bodies had clear definition IN
relation to an amateur.
"The arguments advanced by MT hlrpy
in relation to John Paul Jones competihs
with a professional are not convincing
In the first place. unless the Jonn faui
Jones that I have known for seVerai
years has changed greatly, he would not
ccnpete against a professional Tor
trophy, money or for simple honors.
"Mr Kirby's statements In relation 10
tennis. golf and cricket do not apply at All
10 track and field athletics, for the simple
reason that in these sports the competl-
tion NJ the professional with the amateur
is az ancient origin and comes TO us Win
the growth OF the sport
Has Mr.. Kirby forgotten what nap
pened al the International Federation
Congress at Berlin last August? Does ne
not remember that the representative OF
one country suggested that the lnterna-
tional Federation control professional
competition as we'll as amateur, ana IL
was not even seriously considered-Was
voted down emphatically?
professional sport Is absolutely all
right in it's own place, In its own group
and there should be governing body 10
control and govern professional contests.
But there never can be mixing OF the
amateur and the professional in track ana
field athletics, no more than there can De
a mixing of oil and water.
1T Is a matter OF record that each ana
every year for the past thirty-four years
during that period we have had govern
ing bodies in America) gentlemen have
met in congresses and amended the definl-
ton OF an amateur and made II more
binding They have tried TO make II alb
solutely impossible for an athlete TO In
any way step over that clear line that
defines an amateur from professional.
In conclusion. / desire to make this
statement will not only personally OPP
pose any such proposition as is presented
10 allow John Paul Jones to run against