The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24
NEWPORT RIDTCULED
IN TENNIS WRANGLE
A\bsurdity to Send Tournament
There. Says New Statement
of Players Committee.
FIGHT GETTING HOTTER

ut would have been absurdly unfair
had Newport been selected for the Davis
cup match. Is Il any less absurd to
select 1t for the one great tennis event OF
the year," This is the parting shot OF
the tennis players committee in a state
ment sent out yesterday as the latest con-
tribution to the contest over where the
national tournament shall be held
The factions favorlng Newport and
against Newport are deep in the fight now
and although the statements made by
both sides were not intended TO give false
impressions they seem to have done so.
1t was to correct some OF the false i'm
presslons which might arise from a
statement issued by Charles NJ. Bull. Jr..
for the party favoring Newport that the
tennis players committee issued its state
ment yesterday.
The statement brings out many strong
points, ote Of which concerns the number
Of ranking players who compete In the
tourney. IL Is admitted that for the last
three years the majority OF the first
twenty rated players competed at New
port but II also II pointed out that many
Of these obtained their rating by playing
Ia this tournament and that other play
ers might have been ranked in the first
twenty II the tournament had been held
In "A place accessible to them. The state
ment.
TO prevent false impression which
m ght arise from a recent published state
ment OF Charles NJ Bull. Jr.. claiming
that our committee has been Inaccurate
In some respects. We wish to make the
following reply:
Regarding the courts at Newport. five
Of them were so poor that a number of
matches were held over to get on other
courts. Any tennis player knows that "A
continuously talking and moving back
ground of white. blue and yellow dresses
and parasols makes the best stretch OF
turf in the world total farce as a
tennis court. II II is inaccurate to call
a two and a half to three foot green
fence no background % stop the above
then We are inaccurate
Regarding our statement that only
/ thirty-sN of the hundred ranked players
b contested last wear at Newport. this is
evidently not challenged directly. We
do not doubt that the great majority OF
, the first twenty players have competed IN
| the last three years at Newport for with
few exceptions they would have had &c
do So In order to be ranked In the frst
+ twenty. There are others In the country
| who might have been ranked In the first
twenty. however. had the championship
been neld Nnere tney cOulu ana WpulN
/ have competed. We submit that the frs
twenty are only one-nfth OF the ranking
list. and reiterate that only about one
third were enabled to play last year be
cause of where the tournament was held
Does Mr.. Bull desire to restrict the cham
ponship to the first twenty?
::Hssdr,.!aS .hc iann e 0nn neople
We believe that this is quite a generous
estimate We stand absolutely by on
statement OF few hundred tennis en-
thusiasts present: for one cannot con
slider the summer colonies OF Jamestown
Newport and Narragansctt tennis enthu
siasts In comparison 10 those who pla.
the game themselves. There are les
than n few hundred tennis players in tn
Newport gallery yearly, and we submit
that unless "A man plays game himsel
ne IL not likely to be an enthusiast Il
our view. Consider New York and II
vicinity with thousands OF men playin
tho game for the pleasure OF II. Thes
men are what we call enthusiasts an
whom We intend to exchange as "a CALLER
for those people who yearly flock to tn
Newport tournament as Mr.. Bull him
self knows, many Of them Just as niue
, TO sec the latest frocks and dresses as III
latest tennis played.
3 "Our statement that New York held n
even; Of national importance Is col
rect ono The Davis cup matches wer
not events of national character. bu
were and always have been termed In
tcrnational matches. a Davis cup mate
may not bc played IN this country agal
for years. Boston has the Eastern double
a national event. Newport has had IN
h only other national event In the East.
Y 'Our statement regarding the chan
10 pionship court Is not challenged but NJ
a Bull simply states that II can he rect
4 fed, which may he more difficult than i
Y imaglnes
Regarding rates and accommodation
Q at Newport the players can, II they d.
?. sire, live in small little side street co
n tages and get reasonable accommodation
d II they care little for heat comfort an
. surroundings But tennis players do M
care to continue returning to Newpo
r. every year and live under such col
= dtions There is not one real hotel
l. Newport Consequently there are abs'
e lutely no accommodations for tenn
men iu any numbers who might care
see the tournament This whole condltiC
e il so well understood and dsliked that
II would he wasting time to consider II III
It Their. our committee has. however, o
!. tanned rates more reasonable than tho
If above pictured from the best New Yol
It hotels, and consequently our statemel
T. In this regard. as In all others, is abs
]! lutely accurate.
p New York was selected for the gre
- Davis Gun matches because 1t was ce
e. trail to the greatest number OF tenn
players and lovers, and does this san
argument does not apply to our own M
tinnal championship? II would have o
viously been absurdly unfair had NeN
"A port been selected for the Davis ca
match. IL II any less absurd TO sele
II for the one great tennis event OF 4
! YEAR,"