New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-27
COMMENT ON SPORTS
New Amateur Rule in Lawn
Tennis a Bit Drastic.
THE HAMMER IN ATHLETICS
News and Views on Live Topics
of the Day, Both Amateur
and Professional.

ana PROFESSIONAL.
Lawn tennis Is freer from professional
ism than any other sport which even APP
proachcs II so far as wide participation
goes and yet the governing body sees the
necessity of making the amateur rule
even more drastic than heretofore. There
lisa grave question in my mind if ii can
DC adopted i'm it's present form, for the
vcason that il has created the impression
IN the minds Of many that such a strin-
gent regulation is not needed and that 1t
IS far too revolutionary. In my opinion
no amateur rule can he too drastic to Kill
the parasite which does so much to cast
discrcdt on any sport. There is no such
thing as a semi-professional in the true
sense of the word A man who completes
in sport of any kind must be an amateur
or a professional but the trouble IS
that the line is drawn more sharpS
IN one case than another. ana II Is
hard TO tell, 'oftentimes. just how far
a man can go before crossing TINS line.
The player who uses his skill for gain or
other uses apart from a mere love OF the
snort is not an amateur but ii has come
IN mass that this general rule is not
enough to control the abuses which creep
I'm here and there. to correct when par
riers which should not be necessary must
be erected.
cannot agree with the Interpretation
of the rule suggested editorially III
american Lawn Tennis that r'sio
enforcement would preclude sending
team TO England or any other counli! III
quest of the Davis cup, or put an ehu W
what is called another California lhNd-
sion this year If such is the spirit Vi
the rule ! would be more than wilhhs
10 ioin forces against ii, as any sport
that must be confined TO the limitations oi
great wealth or leisure cannot nope "
,rosper i'm its broadest sense. some lau-
,ude must lie given in the way OF eN-
nonses. otherwise a national champion
ship tournament could not be represents
tive of the real strength OF a couh'r! J.
II the barrier is raised too hish II VIII
mt an end to anything constructive III
the development of the game ana hin''
the players to what they could learn III
small and constrained circles. Such
rule would cure an i'll. but Kill the paueh''
The Interpretation in question IS maze
from that clause of the new rule which
reads:
Has never accepted. from any, hotel.
club or similar organization, al Wl'Nu VI
in connection with whlch tTilirt t,tion or
mem is being held, Transportation VI
money for Transportation or oOdru, IOus
ing OF other general living accoriinioua
tons or money TO cover any Oh an Y, ti0
same, or any secret OF ~ p,'oh ,onI.
duced rate in connection with sucn loui
rament The Interpretation OF ms rune
shall not prevent player IRON idhins
advantage of a reasonable specldl iaee
from such hotel, club or similar OrSdHl%d-
ton. if such special rate is properly IN =.
nOunced and is open 10 any one entering
the tennis tournament
This. of course, was framed to correct
the abuses which in the opinion OF many
nave grown out OF summer and winter
resort tournaments. The word club or
organization" was considered necessary
to prevent an evasion of the rule by those
whose real interest lies i'm some hotel.
but SO far as ] can see it does not operate
against the Meadow club, OF Southamp-
ton. from entertaining such players as II
may invite 10 compete unless such enter
tainment is limited to six or more Of the
stars, TO the exclusion of others VINO may
play Neither does it, in my opinion pre-
clude the sending of team to England
or of the Californians coming East at the
expense of some club or organization in
that district. or even of some Individual.
IL is one thing for club holding tour
nament 10 import some players to lend
tone and II is another thing for club
which wants representation to help send
a player to a tournament. The former
should be discouraged, as tending to com
mercialism; the later should be encour-
aged, as being in the interests of the sport
and in broadening its scope. 1t strikes
me that the rule so drastic as IT may
seem, is in no sense arbitrary or re-
strictive IT may be necessary, however.
for the sake of clearness. to call for an
official Interpretation.
While on the subject Of lawn tennis I
would like TO quote the following COM
ment of a Melbourne correspondent to
''The Sportsman London publication,
snent the victory Of ]. c.. Parke over
Norman T.. Brookes In one of the singles
matches for the Davis cup which was
captured by England in Australia last
December. 1t says:
Without detracting from Parke's win.
there is little doubt that Brookes. al
though still high-class player is not the
champion of three years ago. His service
is not so strong or varied and his driving
lacks that nip and sting which was the
chief factor in his successes in previous
years His game has gained I'm accuracy
but lost in force. Always weat on over
head balls he contents himself to-day
with merely returning them safely.
This may have been true at the time,
but judging from later reports. Brookes
quickly returned to his best form and mas
expressed a willingness to he one of the
team 10 regain the cup il possible this
year II is quite possible that the recent
announcement that Anthony +. Wildine
had rcconsidered his retirement from
the game means that he will join hands
with Brookes. as he did before 10 re-
capture the cup for Australia. The re-
markable popularity of lawn tennis on
the other side of the world is plainly
indicated from the fact that 200 persons