Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-01-04
PACIFIC COAST
MAKES RECORD
IN ATHLETICS
Western Stars Must Travel
Many Miles to Compete in
Championship Matches
tBy Associated Press}

d
SAN FRANCISCO. Cal, Jan. A.
While the great war has precluded
any international competition, the
past year generally is considered 10
have been a banner enc for the anna
tours throughout the United States,
and particularly for The Pacific coast.
due TO the Panama-2aciiic Exposition.
Thanks TO the big fair, greater num-
her of high-class national performers
have visited the coast than at any
other time In the history of It's ath-
letics H.: !. III.
That this has given the coast ire
mendous impetus IN amateur athletics
In all branches is the consensus OF
opinion and the result of the national
championships held in the exposition
stadium last summer has pretty thor
oughly convinced all hands that the
coast athlete must be reckoned with.
Has performances, compared favorably
with those of his eastern brethren.
The Pacific coast has been well rep
resented in the roll of national and
worlds champions by such names as
Mclaughlin, Johnston, HORNE, Bee
son, Drew, Kelly and others, and there
are many who think that this list
would have been augmented had more
championship events been held within
reasonable reaching. distance. The
East practically has had a monopoly
OF them. 1t costs both time and mon
ey to get to them from here. The &C
QUESTION of the national tennis title is
shining example of this.
This brings up the oft discussed sub
ject of the fairness of holding cham
pionship competitions where athletes
from all parts of the country will have
a reasonably equal chance of reaching
them in order to participate. To hold
the tennis championship, for example,
year after year on the edge of the
Atlantic is considered by many on the
Pacific coast a manifest hardship to
the rest of the country and unfair.
That greater proportion OF athletes
are in the East near the centers OF
population is not denied, but that the
Atlantic seaboard should be selected
instead of some central states point,
is deemed unjust.
i
That the New York or Philadelphia
athlete would think twice before go
ing to Europe every year to play for
title is unQuestioned. Yet McLough-
lin and Johnston of San Francisco, in
order to defend their tennis honors
are required, year after year, to make
q journey longer than the sea voyage,
requires about the same length Of
be To 10
sive. To the new and untried aspi.
rants for honors the conditions practi
cal1y are prohfbitive. An hour or two
and dollar, or two is all the Atlantic
coast player who wants to try his for
tune has to have at his disposal I'M
der present conditions, it is pointed
out.
The argument is applicable In all
lines of amateur sport championships
which presumably are open to the ma
tIon's athletes. The question is not
raised in the case of an event such
as the boat race held by the college
crews on the Hudson river, which is
an annual affair belonging TO the
competing crews quite as much as
the annual boat race on the Thames
between the Fights of Yale and Har.
ward, is theirs 1t is where national
or an open title is to be competed for
such as an Amateur Athletic Union
event, that the far western athletes
feels that time, distance and expense
are all against them, elements with
which the eastern athlete does not
have to contend
There is growing feeling on the
coast that some steps should be TAX
en- toward rectifying these conditions,
and it is. not at all unlikely that the
question will be brought up by the
Pacific coast representatives at some
future meeting Of the Union, insofar
as 1t relates to track and field ath-
letics.