The Washington herald., 1917-01-21
Still ASKING What
IS A REAL AMATEUR
Athletic Association Makes Ii Hard to
Remain Simon Pure"

New York. jan n.-sorne Of our
best little performers IN athletes. rolf.
tennis, rowing and swimming are won
dering how much longer II win be until
there viii be no such animal - an
amateur
The movement started more thAn q
year ago by the United States Golf
Association TO remove all possibility Of
any professional 'taint- among its n,euo-
branches OF amateur sports, and the
sponsors in these sport bodies are foster
ing II in every possible way.
Some sport reforms are rood Any
branch of sports can stand reforms from
time TO time. but there is q question IN
the minds of some ss TO whether a wtde-
sweeping reform IN various branches of
amateur athletics and sports which wfn
strip them OF their stars would be for
the best.
The strictest definition OF an snatsur
that has been placed before sny ANA
teu- association for consideration IA that
Of the United States National Lawn
Tennis Association In a nutshell The
U. S. n. L T. A considers the follovfnr
items as violations of anstsurtsm;
Playing with professionals.
Accepting money for playing
Accepting money for teaching.
Accepting expenses incurred In enterfns
9 meet
Permitting the use Of names IN tse
commercial world for advertising pur-
poses.
Accepting q position offered on rhe
strength Of athletic fame
Playing exhibition matches for noney.
Accepting gratis membership In ciubsL
Handling, buying or selling tennis
goods.
Converting trophies or prizes into
money.
These are the thinEs which are gen
orally considered breaches by ~sr,steur~
ism by the reforTners today. The sys-
TEN of reform as advocated by the roaf
and tennis bodies h rapidly spreading.
and should II be adopted by all amateur
associations, the ranks Of sucn associs-
tons would lose dozens Of the foremost
performers OF the age IN tennN- rof,
swimming, rowing. and athletics Of all
branches.
There is not the shsaov Of q doubt fn
the mind OF any fsir-thinking person that
rules prohibiting athletes from accepting
money for their services or performances
should be strictly enforced IN all amateur
associations for without such rules there
would be no such thing as smateurtsm-
But those who look al both sides OF the
matter are inclined 10 believe that the
rules should not be made too far reach
ing.
The lifting Of Francis Ouimets ANA
ssur standing by the United States Golf
Association caused q furore N golf cir
cles at the time Ouimet had not been
playing golf for money, but he entered
the sporting goods business, and because
Of his popularity as golfer hs name
connected with q nrm could naturally De
expected TO prove valuable 70 him In
financial way.
Yet Outroet was not actually reoeivtnG
money for playing. though ne was com
nerciahring his name
What eject would the barring Of such
! stars as Chick Evans, Maurice No
/ Loughlin. Teddy Cam. Tom Rooney
/ and others Of their caliber In the var1oos
| fields Of sport have on these sports7
Would the life of the sport be CD
best performers7
| Would there be as grest an incentive
| Tor the future greats with these starr
out Of competition Or would the barr
| ing Of the topnotchers stimulate intersstf
And what would the attitude OF the
great sport-loving public be!
There are dozens Of questions that can
be asked on both sides, and many argu-
msnts that can be made for and against
/ the stringent reforms that are being
urged. Perhaps q general cleaning UP
| Of all branches Of amateur sports would
\ be q great thing.
But Il seems TO a man up q tree that
| the vsriou, associations had best 90 SLOW
IN making reforms. lest they detr.o
/ from the interest Of the sport-lovinf
, public Golf, tennis and athletics have
! been growing by leaps and bounds They
/ have been brought TO the mont oy The
stars who have shattered records that
/ have stood for years, and II appears that
such performers are entitled TO some con-
! sideration They should not be given =
cold shoulder without both SIDES Of the
question being thoroughly thre<hed out