New Britain herald., 1916-09-13

In summing up the intersectional year-that is, the East against the West-the vital statistics give the West all the better or the debate. While R. N. Williams won back the lawn tennis crown from California, even this achievement doesn't alter the situation.
 "The East" says one writer, gets an even break, for an Fastener won the tennis championship and a West erner won the golf championship" But in all fairness, tossing partisan prejudice overheard, the East hasn't an even break by any standards at all.
 West in the Lead.
 We will first take up the tennis championship. Williams, an Eastern player won. But in the semi-finaI list, three of the four survivors were from the West, or rather they were players trained in Western ways.
 Outside of Williams the other three were Johnston, Murray and Griffen. For one section to have three out of four men in the semi-final rounds about offsets the victory of the lone Fastener. Or, if it leaves his sec ton a margin, it only leaves a narrow one. It speaks for a higher general standard of play to have three men out of four among the last four to survive than it does to have one man win.
 In Golf.
 In golf there can be no argument There were two Eastern players and two Western players in the semi final tilt. But the two Western players moved on to the final settlement leaving the East without a, represen- tative in the closing championship match.
 Tn 1909 two Western players fought out the final round. In 1910 each section had final entry. In 1911 there was Herreshoff from the East against Hilton of England. In 1912 there was Travers of the East against Evans of the west Tn 1913 and 1914 the East had both finals; Travers against Anderson and Travers against OUimet. In 1915 each section had a man. Now, for the first time in seven years, the West had exclusive con- trOl of the championship match, in full possession of both the open and the amateur mpionships.
 Considerable Margin.
 The margin in favor of the West has been considerable In both golf and tennis the West had five of the eight semi-finalists and three of the four final survivors,
 This margin is fairly decisive. Yet last year the West had three out o1 the four fnalists in both golf an6 tennis, and two of these came through
 Taking the count for the last two years in both games, the West has three titles to one for the East. This is wide margin of victory and for the present epoch puts the land of the setting sun and the rising champs well ahead. The East was supreme in golf from 1910 to 1915. But those were the years when the re- doubtable Jerry Travers and the equally redoubtable Francis Ouinet were in the game. As good as Gard ner and Evans are, they are not as Q team quite up to the combined standard set by Travers and Ouimet In their last meeting Travers beat Evans 7 and 6, while Ouimet defeated Gardner, and S. Both Easterners held open and amateur champion ships, and their withdrawal from the game, for the tiTre being. left East ern realms unguarded against the blg test. Unless these two return, the East must develop a better run of talent thas it has today to overthrow Such entries as Evans and Gardner. Ana who, in the East, outside of Will llams, could prevail with steady suc- cess over Johnston or Murray? George , Church would have his chance. but no one else.
 Tn
 In baseball the East has had all the nest or It for several years. B~1916 IS aoout a stand-off. The East rules in the National League, with the l west ahead in the American The Red Sox are now the sole entry with a chance to finish first and they are now in the throes of a for 1 e1gn invasion that may roll them l back. Detroit, finishing at home where the Tigers play at top speed. has the best of it in the advance statistics, and unless Carrigan can wage another wonderful campaign the Tigers are fairly sure to win. The Cobb-Speaker campaign has HOW come down to the closing stages of the stretch. Ty has never failed in the test over nine year span, but there must come an end some day to his reign. It remains to be seen whether he can rally against Speaker as he rallied against Lajoie and Jackson in other years. The odds are always in favor of the champion until he is fairly beaten. Cobb still has his chance, and unless Iris rallies sharply and leaves no opening, the Georgian is likely to plunge on