Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-11-19
ENTIRE ATHLETIC WORLD AGOG OVER
SCHEME TO MIX AMATEURS AND PROS.

right in its place, in its own group,
and there should be governing body
to control and govern professional
contests. But there never can be a
mixture of the amateur and the pro-
fessional in track and field athletics.
no more than there can be a mixing OF
oil and water.
ITO me it is an astonishing PROPOSE
ton, the most astonishing that has
ever been advanced, and of course it
will not be taken seriously by any one
who has followed athletics for many
years.
"ls it not true that professional foot.
racing in England the heart of profess
sional foot-racing, is dead, and as a
matter of fact there is little or no in.
terest in professional racing in any
part of the world.
Il cannot understand for the life Of
me this sudden change of heart on the
part of Mr.. Kirby, To me it is mys-
ferrous. I have before me he official
minutes of the International Fedora
ton Congress, at which such credit
able work was performed for amateur
sport, and the report of the commit
tee on amateur status is very interest
ing in view of Mr.. Kirby's latest re-
marks. In August he was very pro.
nounced in SO far as the definition of
an amateur was concerned. In the
report of his committee 1t is stated:
An amateur is the one who only CON-
petes for the love of the sport. = in
the second paragraph it says that in
track and field athletic sports a man
who knowingly completes with a pro-
fessional becomes a professional.
"A very clear definition in relation
to competition In sports other than
track and field, is found in the fourth
paragraph, and it gives to the Anna
teur Athletic Union of the United
States the right to make its own
rules governing the competition, of
amateur baseball, basketball or other
competitors in team sports with pro
fessionals. The International FEEDER
alton at Berlin would not go on re-
cord that John Paul Jones could run
against a professional and still re-
tain his amateur standing, and the
interpretations handed down by the
committee, of which Mr.. Kirby was a
member, clearly stated that an anna
teur could not wager or be interested
in wager. Could Mr.. Kirby figure
out for you what would happen in an
important race between an amateur
champion of the world and a profes-
sional champion of the world? OF
course, 1 would hate to think of what
would happen.
Line Not Too Fine.
81 do not quite follow Mr.. Kirby in
his statement that in his opinion the
present line is drawn too fine and
under certain circumstances competi.
ton should be permitted between
amateurs and professionals. l cannot
understand just what he means by his
sudden change of heart, for 1t Is a
matter of record that he did not feel
as he does now at the congress at
Berlin last August. At that time he
was in favor of making the amateur
definition more binding.
ut is also a matter of record that
each and every year for the past
"a years during that period we have
had governing bodies IN America)
gentlemen have met in congresses
and amended the definition of an
and made it more binding
They have tried to make it absolutely
for an athlete to in any
way step over that clear line that de-
fines an amateur from a professional.
II want all professionals to clearly
understand me, that the A. A. u.
through all it's presidents has clearly
and distinctly stated that 1t has no
quarrel whatever with the prefes-
sional. The majority Of the profes-
SIGNALS that We have are, fine men,
who do try to help athletics and arc
doing good work in the colleges and
the schools, and | doubt If they want
to compete against amateurs. | don't
think Jack Moakley. Lawson Robert
son, Pooch Donovan, Harry Hillman
Johnny Mack or keene Fitzpatrick
would want to have the privilege tol
in public against the men in
their charge just to prove that the
amateur was better than the profess
sional or the professional better than
the amateur.
There is no demand. for the good
of athletics, for such proposition as
Kirby advances. and l doubt if it will
ever even be discussed or taken upl
seriously by any governing body in
America
In conclusion, desire to make this
statement: will not only personally
oppose any such proposition as is pre-:
scented, to allow John Paul Jones toI
run against a professional in foot
race, but l am, furthermore, going TO-
recommend that We strengthen our
amateur definition at the annual meet
ing of the governing body on Nov Il.
IL YOU try and fail the HERS will