New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-28
AMATEUR WAVE
THREATENSSTARS
0FLAWN TENNIS
Proposed Rule Would Bar
Johnston, Champion, and
Comet Mclaughlin
by FRED HAWTHORNE


tennis players Of Great Britain. France
and Germany. and it will probably be
some years before these countries car
enter into international competition
again with any hope OF success.
We in America have been congratu.
lating ourselves that the devastation
Of war has not been able to rob Us oil
our own great players, but another
danger turks right mere st home, name
ly. the war on alleged professionals N
the amateur ranks.
Should the United States National
Lawn Tennis Association, al the annual
meeting al the Waldorf Astoria Hotel
or February ., put through its pro-
posed amendment 20 the amateur rule
as il relates 10 players engaged in the
sporting goods business, some Of the
greatest players this country has pro-
duced would drop out of competition.
and Just as effectively as though they
had been laid low by shrapnel on the
/ field of battle.
Would Leave Big Gap
Maurice Evans Mclaughlin. William
B ". Johnston, Thomas &. Bundy, Fred
/ erick 3. Alexander and Wallace T..
Johnson. among others. would diSap-
pear from the courts. and their going
would leave a gap in the ranks that
would be hard TO fill. for few years, at
| least.
/ All the above mentioned men arc now
/ actively engaged in the sporting goods
/ business, and there are several others
Z only slightly less we'll known who will
/ be automatically barred from amateur
/ competition if Section becomes law.
McLoughlin's stepping down can be
/ compared TO the taking OF OF the great
New Zealander. Anthony r. Wildng.
killed in q trench at Galipoli. Wildng
had reached the zenith Of his greatness
on the courts when death laid him
low. and Mclaughlin also appears 20.
have arrived at the pinnacle Of his
fame as a player. At Forest Hills, I'M
/ 1914. he achieved the heights when he
conquered Norman Brookes and Wild
ing in the Davis Cup matches. Norris
[ Williams defeated the Comet for the
national championship at Newport a.
few weeks later. and never since then
has Mac" been the same wonderful
player who electrified the lawn tennis'
world by his sensational victories overI
Great Britaiu's best.
But Mclaughlin IS younger mani
b. several years than Wilding was at
the time of the lattPr's death. and II b.
within reason 10 believe that he might
easily come back in 1917 or next year.
and once more hold undisputed sway
Therefore. his loss would be felt even
more keenly among followers Of the.
game than the lamcnted New Zes- 4
landers.
4 Great PLAYER
As for Johnston. who has barely
reached his majority, he is to-day one
of the worlds great players. In fact
only Williams ranks above him, both
on the official ranking list and in the
opinion Of a majority OF the qualified
critics Of tho game.
u has been said of Johnston that his
style of play Is almost fawless and his K
stroke production perfection itself. lie [
has been pointed out as the model for
all aspiring young players TO follow
When the little Californian won the
national title in 1915, defeating Karl ,
Behr, Williams and Mclaughlin on his
way to the championship. the nation
awoke TO the fact that another lawn
tennis marvel had arisen from the
ranks.
Last year. at Forest Hills, it Was
this same Johnston who opposed VIII |
Jams in the final round for the cham.
pionship. and he was only bereft Of
his aures after five gruelling sets |
I Williams playing super-tennis in the
latter stages of the match.
There are many who expect 20 see
Johnston step back into the champion
ship in 1917. that Is. supposlng he is
still classed as an amateur. but u mel
proposed amendment - the amateur
rule becomes a law, then Johnston
name will be but a memory OF the
courts. and America will lose one o.
her most illustrious players.
The name of Frederick A. Alexander ii
has been associated with all that Is
best in American lawn tennis Tor tne
last dozen years. In 1907, lsVe, l'v' +
and 1910, paired with Harold H. hseA J.
EFT, he held the national doubles title
and in addition he was player OF u. 7
ternational reputation, playing IN ,ns
Davis Cup matches and also on tn'
Riviera.
AftOll W hdht
There Is no better amateur, no truei
sportsman on the courts, than AleHah'
der. and no man has done more for me h
advancement Of lawn tennis among ,n.
schoolboys of this country than ne Du,
he will pass out with Mclaughlin sno
Johnston if the sporting goods elsus'
goes through.
Wallace Johnson. OF Philadelphia, a. h
though never national champion, y
known as one Of the greatest chopl
stroke players who ever took the oogtt
In 1912 he forced the great McLoughhD
70 five terrific sets in the final rouncI b
Of the national championship, and va
beaten by only the narrowest OF mar
gins. That was Johnson's best year, lC
but ever since then he has been one h
of the prominent players Of the coun
try and is still formidable opponeh' i
today. Bundy. in 1910, was the fvh- |,
ner-up 10 William A. Larned, for ths y
national title. end also held the ns,
tional doubles title in 1912, 1918 ana
1914.
II is true that there are other arc
Younger men we'll qualified 20 tax
their places on the courts for AmericS, n
but notwithstanding. the sacrifice o /,
the five players mentioned above wo9iu
be severe blow 10 the game IN tnis y
country. viii the ruthless war on tne
part Of the L. 5. y. l.. Z. A. resu"
IN such a sacrifice !
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