New-York tribune., 1919-12-21

pom to have a Place there.
First, let US glance at the list OF
lawn tennis history, and then dis
lere are the ten leading players amt
ommittee:
No. l. William NJ. Johnston; No.
[umagae No. 4, Robert Lind ey n
10. 6, Richard Norris Williams I'd;
;. Garland; Ne. 9, Waiter T. Hayes
There can be no question as to the
wonderful Johnston's right to ,ho'd the
,remier position in American lawn ten
is. Without doubt. the little Call
ornan is without peer in rhe world
o-day. We who witnessed his ever
gheln ing cefeat of Ii den at Forest
Ills 'ast September. in tie final and
ham-ioneh'p round Of the national
ingles tourney and his triumph over
h sar sersationa player in the final
ound Of the n"ti"nal clay court sing es
ournament in Chicago last Ju Y, not to
rention s victories over Gera l..
pst.erson and Norman Brookes. of
AUSTRIA ia. OF the same courts, are emi-
emily satisfied that no other choice
as moss b 10 0S-o0 as arh 'ereN
he No. nos'-io on IN 1915. when he won
is frst natioNa championship.
Tilden, at Ne ., 5 another logical
hoce there beirg no one W thin s.rik-
nr distance of him and Johnston. AS
rstter O TACT. it WAS Johnston alone
no prevented 5be tel' Philado 'phian
rom geinn~ the ton rosit IN and the
stiona' CHAMPION hip. These two
layers, from tie Far West and the
st are quite within class by them
elves.
High Honor fer Japanese
It is q proud distinction that Ichiya
.umogae at No. 3. earns. The ever
ming itt'e Japanese. one of the
nest sportsmen cn the cou' IS. has won
popular p ace IN the affections and
amiration Of followers and players Of
mis- in 'N's c~unt~v 0~lv TN1er
ohnston and Vincent Richards scored
yer him during a long and arduous
eason Of p 'ay. Kumagae has almost
omp etc V mastered the overhead game
nd his vol eylng while not typical of
II own sty'e. is very effective. Com
med with q sterling backcourt game
roso havo been suffic ent to advance
--H man i-SiI VIC L d. laSL W -llt -QltN
.sitlon he now holds
Murr"y who he'd the national title
1918 and lost it at Forest Hills IN
aptemher. might almost have beaten
u- Kumagae for the No. position had
not been for his defeat by the 1apa~
csc a. Newport and his rather disap-
a.nting ~ at the national singles
mpionship tourney, when an un-
astunate straining of the heart lost
n match that he appeared to have
ready Won
Wa ae f Johnson at No. ) seems
retty nearly correctly p eccd in nv
pin 'on. aith ugh in an amended
rarkng list" Of ny own, pubhshed
ii NoyeTsYer, l put him at NJ. 6. Ger
an Y johnson and his most earnest
sPportevs have nothing TO protest
out III the selection of the rank
c'nmit Will'9ms, ju below
ohnson, a. No. 6, is right 2 aced. or
cary SO think; bat now We come
0 the parting Of the wavs
RolaTd Roberts, o. Ca fornia, the
sHsatioua young player who appeared
the Eas. taree or u years ago,
nd who Won the california state
hampton ship this year. i am not
i.s-aken S named for the No. ! posi-
on by the ranking nmittee. ! gave
ne ? ace to Garland in my ranking
ISL and with what believed was good
nd sufficient reason.
WY Roberts at No. II
BY what : retch Of the imagination
ilbbons Conrad 3. Doyle Walter T.
iayes, Harry c. Johnson and Paul B.
'ibbons, composing the committee, or
y What Juggling of records and figures
ney cou d place Roberts IN the first
en- admit am unabe TO discover.
tere is q player. however bril- liant his
ecord on California courts, who id
10 appear in a single Eastern tourna-
merit, not even in tne clay court cham
.orshp at Chicago He was not at
u'hampton not at Seabcig t, not at
.ngwood. not a. Forest Hills, when
hn ton. Mclaughlin. Willis Davis and
llarence j. Griffin. the best OF the
Ja.lfornlans, were playing in the East.
ind yet he is elevated to high place
the fret ten.
tven when he was here some wears
sso on his Eastern trip, ROBBERS did
iot accomplish anything startling; in
act his WOrk was 4 dl appointment tC
hfsc who had come to regard all Cali
ornlans as bit above players from
>'ne, sections OF he country when j
ame 10 lawn tennis. Why Ae should
)e rated above men like Garlzc< Wat
on Wash burn, S Howard Y =, ill and
Davis who appeared in the mr. tant
ourreys in the East is sonnet ~, that
personally, am unab'e o 'a.aom
Gnr'on7 is placed az No and then
We find Hayes at No 9, and here sgain
"iT SUE the choice vii not BE- we'll
ecewed by maj rity OF players and
Sc VINO follow the game closely In
Aplanatlon of this selection a mem
,eF OF the ranking committee told me
nat Hayes VS. cho en- on account of
us close match with Johnston in the
"ai OF The clay court champi onship.
'ue mat was the outstanding perform
'nee In Hayes tournament record. 1t
Wt-topped all else he accomplis he'd
luring 1919.
1 was present in Chicago when Hayes
ia!ed hnston in that final round.
."s Middle West veteran has always
'eeh al his best on clay surface, and
< was Playing on his home court and
'e'ofe friendly gathering, yet his
"7s n|' m N"oss V r.vervN d
~, gladly acknowledge the excellence
u haye : game on the harder, faster
'ufts. lie indeed difficult man to
'sa' under such conditions. But after
mt h. ~, r "a,
eonducted largely determined by
"an performances on the turf? That
. my ur derstanding.
Ihen, where does Hayes rightly figure
an hg thT first ten? 1t is doubtful
= the On cagoan played half dozen
ha'cnes all through the season on
"a courts, certainly he played none