The Washington times., 1914-10-17

Washington, together with its vast
army of big and little pin rollers, is in
the midst of a bowling regeneration
which is calculated to benefit the game
more than any step which has been
taken for the uplift Of the sport since
Old Man Rip Van Wrinkle used to cavort
upon the greens when the game was
played on. of doors. Reference is made
to the membership which this city will
have in the recently organized Atlantic
Coast Bowling Association, Of which
Washington and every city in the East
Is AFFILIATED.
The purpose Of this Atlantic Coast
Bowling Association is to bring the
games Of tenpins, duckpins. candlepins
and every other form Of bowling to a
common basis and to play it ip every
city according to the same rules, con-
ditions and regulations. Every sport
which now has recognition in the large
field Of American pastimes has an es-
tablished set of rules which are fol-
lowed wherever the game Is played. and
it is in this very particular that our
game Of bowls differs from all of the
others.
The truth of this statement is prob
ably no better proven than by a mere
reference to that BrOckton episode or
February last, which every bowler is
probably trying to forget. At that time
a team from Washington went to the
New England citadel to engage in what
It supposed to be set of duckpins such
as is popular here, but 1t was found
that an entirely different variety of
sport is engaged in in that place. Diff
ferent in that the alleys are Of a diff
ferent finish. the pins are smaller and
the balls are smaller by nearly third.
This condition is the one which will he
corrected If the, bowlers put their
shoulder to the wheel by giving their
support to the A. c. B. A.. and not
only will it aid the little pin rollers, but
1t will be Of equal benefit to the ten
Primers.
Like other pleasures at which the
American people spend their eight hours
set aside for play. bowling Is filled
with myriad disputes which are in
evitable and which really go to make
did not permit of disptes and wrangles
it would soon be dropped by the
majority, but these disputes should be
friendly and there should be univer-
sal code by which all of them might be
definitely and finally decided.
There Is no such code for the bowlers.
The Atlantic Coast Bowling Association
wants to give them one.
or course every city has its associa-
tons and certain rules by which its
public finds 1t convenient to learn to
bowl. These associations vary in scope
and effectiveness, and in most instances
the variation is so great that no two
neighboring cities follow the same regu-
lations. This condition naturally denies
the intercourse which should exist be-
tween places which follow sport
especially If said sport is to enjoy a
healthy existence.
There must be intercourse if the game
is to thrive; and there can not be the
proper amount of intercourse unless it
is to be played under the same rules.
alley conditions etc. throughout the
length and breadth of the territory
which 1t has invested.
Football would soon die out If the
Eastern Colleges could not play the
Western Colleges. Baseball would be a
dead issue II the teams from Chicago.
Detroit. cincinnati and the other major
league cities could not have an oppor-