New-York tribune., 1919-05-19
Officers of y. S. ~ L. Z. A.
Issue q Warning Bulletin
Clubs, Players and Sport
ing Goods Houses No
tilted of Stand Taken
By Fred Hawthorne

ably join the international Lawr
Tennis Federation this year. it become.
apparent that we must establish :
standard of amateurism that will stane
unchallenged before the world.
That steps are being taken in this
direction by President George Town
send Adee and his fellow officers Of
the u, S. N. J.. T. A. is indicated b,
the action of the amateur rule commit.
tee, which is sending out to- day bulle
tin to all clubs in the association
players known to be employed b,
sporting goods firms and to the firms
themselves
Briefly, this bulletin summarizes the
decisions OF the governing body as tC
what rule of conduct is required of al
amateur in tennis; how the rules shal
be interpreted and enforced. with gen.
eral remarks as TO the increasing ten
dency of players to overstep the boun.
darles of real amateurism.
Three Points Emphasized
Here arc the three things that ar
amateur must end must not do. thai
the committee lays particular stress
upon:
"Any club or association which
pays directly or indirectly the ex-
penses, board or lodging of anv
tennis player must send detailed
memorandum Of such expenditures
to Edwin r. Torrey, secretary Of the
United States National Lawn Tennis
Association, for the information of
the executive committee.
ANY player engaged in the sport
ing goods business must send to
Secretary Torrey by June i in each
year statement covering his tennis
activities for the previous wear.
along these lines: Number of tourna-
ments entered and time absent from
business for such play; extent to
which the player has to do with
sporting goods as compared with
other lines of goods handled for his
firm
ANY player purposing to enter the
sporting goods business must before
doing so send Secretary Torrey a
statement of the details of the pro
posed employment"
In letter sent to the SPORTING pood,
firms the committee states that il he
lleves that much of the popularity en-
Joyed by lawn tennis is due to its
recognized standing as an amateur
sport, and that the danger of breaking
down these standards by the increasing
tendency to employ prominent tennis
players must be stopped. Any suggcs-
tlons from the firms will be welcome.
The clubs are asked to supply the
committee with full details as to the
payment of travelling expenses, board
and lodging to visiting players, and
this Is done for the especial purpose OF
determining whether any players are
making living out of the game in
such a manner
AS regards the individual players
the committees questionnaire will not
bear results until after December /
1919, since it has been decided to base
the reports on the players conduct this
season. On this point the committee'<
letter to the players says: "The cxecu.
tive committee feels that, inasmuch as
1918 was war year, during which
every effort was made to raise money
for war purposes, it would not be fail
to use that year as a basis Of these re.
ports"
President Adee in making public the
committees action declared that it was
the duty of the association to develor
the game of lawn tennis, to maintain
its amateur standards and ideals on the
highest plane and to enforce the rules
of the association, for which purposes
the amateur rule committee was ap-
pointed to take charge of this phase
of the game
"The committee believes" said Mr.
Adee, that certain abuses have begun
to creep into tennis in this country
and that these abuses, though small ir
themselves, are contagious, and if un.
checked will tarnish this finest anc
cleanest of sports. The feeling on the
part of some players that it is theil
right to make a living out Of tennis il
unquestionably growing. The number
of players entering the sporting goods
business is increasing and there seem.
to be an increasing tendency to disre
gard the amateur rule Of the associa
ton. The committee is convinced thai
for the future welfare Of the game thu
policy decided upon two years ago o.
rigidly enforcing the amateur rule
should be carried out in order to pre-
serve the ideal of lawn tennis-'Spor
for sports sake'-which has always OBJ
tanned in the past, and thus keep tht
fair name of the association forever
clean and above reproach."
This is as it should be- If we are
to become a member of the interna
tional federation it is we'll that We
come in with clean hands. Let 1t be
said that our amateurs are second tt
mono in all that the word "amateurism
implies. Nothing less should satisf,
US.
Two tournaments, the Quaker
Ridge championships in singles ant
doubles, on the courts of the New
Rochelle Tennis Club, and the annua
Essex County title tourney, on tht
Essex County Country Clubs courts
at West Orange, N. j., will begin this
afternoon. No lists Of entries have
been given out, but the success of tht
Harlem Tennis Clubs event last wecl
seems sufficient assurance that botf
will draw many Of the leading player,
from, the metropolitan district.