Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-01

MAX H. BEHR, who in 1908 was runner
| AV1 up to Jerome d. Travers In the ma.
tional amateur golt championship and who
is editor of Golf Illustrated, comes out
very strongly for national golf association
in the current number of that periodical
| Mr. Behr is not only ranked among the best
playing golfers in the country, but he and
| Charles 3. Macdonald, who was the first
| man In this country to win a national anna
| teur title, were responsible for the National
| golf links which until Pine Valley was
built was regarded the finest test of golf
in this country. He is greatly interested in
golf and he feels like others that the
| United States Golf Association Is not as
representative as 1t might be-
Needed. national golf association.
| That seems peculiar need in view of tho
existence Of the United States Golf Asso-
| citation with its claim to being the dominat-
| ing power over golf in America" he says.
| But what is one to think OF this claim
| when one sees the Western Golf Association
| severing its nominal allegiance to the parent
organization by passing its own law to
| govern amateurism and abolishing the
| stymie? Can the u. S. G. A. any longer
| claim supremacy?
w. G. A. Not Disrupting Golf
There are those who blame the w. G.
| A. for disrupting the game, but they are
| wrong, The west has been extremely tol-
Grant 1t has always desired to further
the interests Of the U. S. G. A. and see 1t
| grow to a position where It's authority
| would be unquestoned. But II has all
| along recognized that the u S. G. A. as
now constituted was in no position to assert
the complete authority which should be-
| long to it,"
I'VE note from an article In the Philadel-
| phia Public Ledger OF July l that Mr..
| Perrin, president of the u S. G. A., has
nI,a Atn tha A twas nh Ia
body and its Independent stand regards
amateurism and the stymie outrageous.
| History does not warrant that opinion. On
the contrary, up until recently tn, w. G.. A.
has been loyal to the traditions for which
the u. s. c. A. has stood and for the rules
of the game which it has promulgated But
the u. S. G. A. cannot expect this will go
| on forever II 1t persists in refusing the ordi-
nary courtesy of meeting halfway an inde-
| pendent association which h been willing
to acknowledge the nominal authority of the
U S. G. A., and which was ever ready to
place itself under its direct authority u 1t
could obtain the representation that was it's
due We can assert that the West is ready
today to extend the hand of friendship and
confer upon some means whereby the gov
ernment of the game may become unified
for the best interests of golf in America
But patience has its limits, which Mr..
Perrins remarks have nearly stretched to
the breaking point.
Ouimet Case Unfortunate
THE recent unfavorsble decision of the
executive committee of the u. S. G. A. as
regards the personal appeal Of Francis
Ouimet for reinstatement as an amateur is
another unfortunate happening as regards
public opinion As the U. S. G. A. amateur
definition stands today II was of course inn
possible for the executive committee to en-
tertain favorably Ouimets appeal, but in
view of the known fact that Ouimet's case
was never voted upon at the annual meeting
In January, a happier solution would have
| been the calling of a special meeting of the
association to consider the matter. A con-
sideration of Ouimet's case by the associa-
ton as a body is of the highest Importance
Failure to settle the question last January
was the cause of the present split between
the West and the East, and the executive
committee has paid the penalty of ventur-
| ing into dangerous position in the face of
public opinion and in continuing to persist
In maintaining that position without its
ratification by the association as a body.
1t now finds its sovereignty by consent
partly transformed into impotence by dis
agreement.
How long will the members of the United
State Golf Association tolerate this indif-
ference to their interests? viii they allow
these grave matters to hang fire until they
find they belong to an association which is
national only In name, or are they going to
| rise up ana, III necessary, reconstitute them-
selves In order that the association shall
regain the power and influence which are its
due as the parent organization Of golf in
this country?"
No Denial From President Perrin
Since that interview with Mr.. Perrin at
| the open patriotic tournament nothing has
| been heard from him that the remarks he
| made were incorrect Newspaper men who
\ have had any experience at all are careful
| In quoting others. and there is no doubt
that he said the action Of the W. @. A. was
reasonable and outrageous
! In one OF the local Sunday newspapers
| the writer says: 4
! "In the current issue of Golf illustrated,
| edited by Max Behr. President Howard w.
| Perrin, Of the United States Golf Asso-
citation. Is quoted as saying that the West-
ern Golf Association acted reasonably N
| IL independent stand - regards ~ GtofuoI
q the amateur and the stymie Xle o1)Q1.
! epee e crsdite4 g Iocsl AK