New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
eob Wrenn Surprised at Views
ON Amateur Question.
sEITz MAKES A PROTEST
Sees No Harm in Clubs Paying
Expenses of Players to
Their Journeys.

hSAA
,,u.n tennis officials of the national as
.,.,ion arc surprised at the msinterpre-
,o,on Of the proposed amateur rule and
- foatures Of the new constitution
.,1 Avlaws which will he acted upon at
49,. tb,rtv-second annual meeting of the
rs,ionsl body on Friday. Robert d.
,.renn. president of tho United States
>..,tonal Lawn Tennis Association. and
Henry W. Slocum. chairman of the re-
..,sion committee. both stated emphatical-
ID, yesterday that they believed the pro-
,osad rules had been more generally mis-
understood than any previous legislation
,eored by the association in its many
ears OF directing the game in this coun-
Try.
On the other hand, a number of inhu-
initial club officials declare that the am
otAur rule is so drastic as to be inimical
20 the welfare of the game. Edward
n seitz. chairman of the Trafford Ten
r,s Association, and Harry Seymour. of
70 PlftSDufR ANiiltllN hSSONAdNlOAt NutlN
tho national clay court championship was
decided last year. have come out squarely
against the rule. In a statement issued
bv Mr.. Seitz yesterday he says
'Jn this community. as well as other
points distant from the larger cities of
The East, it is difficult TO dig up from
our own talent sufficient number of
good lawn tennis players TO draw a
crowd: consequently. it has been the GUS
TON 10 search for such available compct-
TORS in other districts in order 10 make
the matches interesting and instructive,
not only TO such players as we have. but
10 the general public who have turned
out in large numbers 10 see these con
tests. IL is our belief that his method
develops the game in our community, as
We have a consequently increasing num-
her Of players and courts, and this actv-
jty no doubt is brought about by these
public exhibitions or tournaments.
AS you are aware, the national asso-
cation has proposed to prohibit by their
new amateur rule the paying OF play
er's expenses or his entertainment unless
II be done by the club sending him. In
ny opinion, the proposed rule is rot from
the beginning to the end
'First-The clubs who have good play
ers among their membership are seldom
interested in whether or not they ever
GO anv place. and more than likely they
prefer 10 keep them at home, where they
can see them themselves.
"Second-Some of those players belong
10 small clubs. who. no matter how
much they might want TO send their
best players around, do not possess the
means wherewith so 10 do.
"Third-The community into which
these players go get the benefit Of their
PLAY. and why should they not be the
cnes TO pay for it?
The whole crux of the matter is sim
ply this Is it wrong for player 10
accent his travelling expenses or enter
tainment, or both? The question Of who
paws the expense certainly has nothing
whatever to do with it as long as they
are paid The revision committee is
splitting hairs over the question as 10
VINO shall pay this expense.
In my opinion. so long as the player
accepts no money for his own personal
use he is unquestionably entitled to be
considered an amateur.
ON the other hand. if this rule is
passed how many players are we going
10 get who are willing TO spend, as one
player wrote me he spent last year, slOO
TO play In the clay court championship
at Pittsburgh? There are not many who
can afford it. We will be merely con-
fning the out-of- town activities Of any
tennis player, good or bad. to those who
are rich enough TO pay their own eX-
penses In my opinion. it is distinct
blow 10 the advancement of the game
all over the country. II makes little
difference to most Of us whether a man
10 rich or poor If he should be able TO
show us a new brand Of lawn tennis.
and for the life Of me | cannot under
stand how any person can be narrow
enough 10 insist upon such rule being
incorporated in the bylaws.
The other clauses Of the amateur rule
defining employment Of tennis players
is certainly Just as narrow. l would
very much rather. when I want to buy
lawn tennis goods. consult a salesman
who knows what he is talking about.
and l cannot understand why such a
person should be excluded from playing
lawn tennis simply because he knows
something about and sells lawn tennis
goods
How many players have there been in
me United States during the thirty-fve
years that the game has been in existence
who made their living out OF lawn tennis.
ana whence comes the urgent demand for
such stringent rule as proposed"
referring 10 the proposed legislation re-
earding the voting of proxies Mr.. Seitz
continues:
The attempt to confine the voting
strength OF the association members 10
blocks OF FIVE Is certainly going to stir
Up strong opposition from those com
munities far distant from the meeting
place who never get any other chance TO
express themselves and frequently are not
"eh enough TO send delegate two thou
S~no miles TO the only place the meeting
Is ever held.
How is club going TO be able TO In
suuct It's proxy how the said proxy is
song to vote on every point presented
a' the annual meeting? Is the meeting to
framed UP prior TO meeting and
nothing else TO be discussed? If, after
listening to the discussion upon point.
" becomes convinced his original instruc-
IONS as to how to vote thereon are wrong,
nc TO be compelled to still vote con-
wary 10 his convictions?
fou might as we'll have a meeting of
IiumS.' because a diecus sion nnOn any