Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-30
DICTURBS TENNIS SHARKS
Crack Players Who Have Been
Killed in War Leaves Fate Of
Challenge Cup in Doubt.
CHALLENGES ARE WITHHELD

NEW YORK, May @.-The fate OF
Anthony r. wilding. long famous as one
Of the greatest lawn tennis players Of
tho world, has. during the last week.
inspired the question:
What Is TO be the fate OF the Davis
international cup1
wuding, Kenneth Powell and others
who have had share In the great work
Of the development OF international
tennis have been victims Of the European
war strangely enough the cup remains
I'm this country, in fact In this city, and
40 far as any OF those who arr inter
ested In the game are concerned u may
be several years before Il leaves US.
BY a strange coincidence Robert d.
wrenn, president of the United states
National Lawn Tennis association. re-
ceived letter from Thomas Hicks,
secretary OF the Australian association.
the very day that the fate OF wilding
was cabled 10 this country. In II the
Australian wrote In hearty appreciation
OF the action OF the American associa-
ton withholding a challenge for the great
trophy this season. He said that all OF
those In the down-under-slde OF the
world recognized Il as;
Jnst what Was Expected,
"a most sportsmanlite. and considerate
action" II was the sort of thing that
was to be expected OF this country which
had taken such n high-minded position
In lawn tennis and was surely averse
10 making n ''bloodiess battle" for a
trophy. which with tho present unsettled
state OF nations. would simply elve the
cup to the Americans for their trouble OF
issuing challenge.
In commenting upon tho situation.
wrenn said that IL was a certainty that
international competitions on the courts
were at a standstili for many years to
come. Tho president OF the German as
ISOLATION has met his death In battle,
and strangely enough the kaiser was one
OF the chief patrons OF the game. Eng
land had cancelled the entire tourna-
ment season. So had Canada. where the
usual international Niagara-on-the-Lahe
championship had been abandoned. The
great clubhouse and grounds q the club
In Paris had been transformed into a
hospital. II was certain that when the
Davis cup was next competed for that
the old names would he missing from the
lists OF contenders. Il was a matter OF
sad regret 10 Wrenn as he wrote bis
message, which was eabled 10 Thomas
Hicks, sydney, New South Wales; ''The
death OF Anthony r. wiIding IL reported.
Please express our deepest sympathy 70
his family and TO your association"
Guessing is AnnoytnS.
! One OF the things that has annoyed
the president OF the National association
10 the amount OF guessing and taken for
authority statements as TO the players
who will make the journey as the Eastern
states team to the Paclfic coast.
| with the exception OF n. Norris WI
iiams, Cd, the national champion. and
Watson M. Washburn, positively no seioc-
tons have been made for the team" said
Wrenn.
"The guessing that this player or an
other will be chosen has led to solne
embarrassing situations Probably the
matter will not be decided until near the
close OF next month.
There is intense interest all over the
country as TO the team. Almost daily
the committee receives letters from clubs
and influential men IN the middle west
and south urgently requesting that the
team stop off at their city for exhibition
matches. The team could be booked for
a year II II had the time at les disposai.
! II will be impossible, however, TO meet
any OF the requests. Tho team with set
together for the first time in the ma
tional olay-court championship tourna-
ment, which viii begin on the courts
OF the Pittsburgh Athletic association
June 8 This will tune the four men
up for speed and competitive play, From
there the team will 80 direct to Cali
fornia.