New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-13
TO UNITE ALL AMATEURS
GuStavus Kirby Wants National
Athletic Federation.
EVERY SPORT INCLUDED
President of A. A. A. u. Outlines
Plan for a General House
Cleaning.

proportions, whose prlnclpdl OoJeO' s"a'i
be TO bring about some harmony in the
conflicting definitions Of an amateur In
all American sports. is one of the pur-
noses of Gustavus T. Kirby. president of
the Amateur Athletic Union, and chair
man Of the advisory committee of the
intercollegiate Association of Amateur
Athletes OF America Mr.. Kirby made
this startling statement Of his intentions
at the recent annual banquet of the Mid
die Atlantic Association of the Amateur
Athletic Union in Philadelphia. The radi-
cal progressiveness Of the thought en-
phasized by Mr.. Kirby seemed to escape
the newspaper men present at the meet
ing and Mr. Kirbys ideas are given here
for the first time.
Mr. Kirby has made a close study OF
amateurism and has been forcibly Inn
pressed with the inconsistencies in the
definitions. as made by the various asso-
Citations which control the different forms
of sport These definitions are so con-
hicting that an amateur in one sport IS
a professional in another. For instance.
the strictest definition is that imposed by
the Amateur Athletic Union and the In
tercolegiate Association of Amateur Ath-
letics Of America. In these associations
an amateur is one who has never com
peted for a money Prize or any valuable
consideration or with professionals for
money prize.
There is no doubt that the ideals of the
various golf, racquet and lawn tennis
associations are quite as high as those
of the Amateur Athletic Union. Yet
these associations accept men who are
professionals in other sports, of men, in
fact, who have competed in other sports
for money
The Amateur Athletic Union and the
intercollegiate Association of Amateur
Athletes of America rules proclaim that
if a man is a professional in one sport
he is a professional in all. This is the
feature of amateur athletics which does
not appeal to Mr. Kirby. and while he
admits the difficulties which confront him
he would like to bring about better un-
Outstanding between all the associations
which attempt TO define an amateur, so
that all would be working toward one
end. and whereby the rulings of one body
would he accepted by another.
His plan is for one central BODY TO be
called. as he suggested. the Amateur Ath-
letic Federation of the United States.
This association would be made up of all
the other national associations which
now control different branches Of sports.
Thus. there would be one association for
the control of track and field athletics.
another for swimming, another for base
ball and others for tennis, golf, wrest-
ling. boxing and all the other sports.
Mr. Kirby is broad minded enough to
recognize that il is impossible and mad
visable to attempt TO have one uniform
definition of an amateur in all of these
sports. because. although a man may be
a professional in one sport. ne may be
quite as good an amateur in another sport
as one who might claim to be an amateur
in all. according TO the Amateur Athletic
Union definition
Every one who is interested in the
furtherance of amateur sports in this
country hopes that dr. Kirby may bring
about the organization of such an asso-
citation as he outlines. There is no doubt
that there are many Inconsistencies in
the definition Of an amateur as observed
throughout the athletic world. Although
James Thorpe. the Carlisle Indian, who
proved himself TO be the worlds greatest
all-round athlete al the Olympic games
was later declared professional, he was
no more a professional than several other
members of the American team and mem
hers of foreign teams. II is a fact that
no one will deny that number of men
who competed for the United States and
for other countries in the revolver, rife
and trap shooting events would have
been professionals if the Olympic Coun-
ell had had one general definition OF an
amateur. the same as in track and field
sports. Many of the men just referred
TO represented various trades. and while
they we're not nomnally employed by
their firms because of their marksman-
ship. as a matter Of fact they held their
POSITIONS for that very reason and their
salaries went on while they represented
the United States at Stockholm
Mr. Kirby's suggestion would likewise
solve the evil of summer baseball. 1t
would make ii necessary, however, to Or
canize an intercollegiate baseball associ-
alton. which would determine the defini-
Con of an amateur in baseball. If this
baseball association were member OF
the national federation all OF Its rulings
would have to be accepted by the Amateur
Athletic Union and the Intercollegiate AS
ISOLATION of Amateur Athletes of Amer
lea. 1t is a question whether or not Mr..
Kirbvs ideas will prove acceptable to the
Amateur Athletic Union and the lntercol-
l.giate Association of Amateur Athletes of
America, which for many years have
stoutIy maintained that a professional in
one snort is a professional in all. There
is this merit in Mr.. Kirbys suggestion
namely. that it deals with facts and not
with theories. As things now stand. the
gulf between the amateur and the profess
sonal IS wide. and nothing is being done
cr can be done 10 eliminate the crooked
amateurs. the men who play professional
baseball in the summer under assumed
names and then masquerade as amateurs
for the rest Of the season.
Mr. Kirby summed up his position IN
these words II have nothing against the
professional who is an honest professional
but | do detest the dishonest amateur
the man who poses as an amateur, but
who plays summer baseball under an as
sumed name or practices other forms OF
deception which we all know about