The sun., 1919-09-14
NEW YORK TO HAVE
SPORT CLUB DE LUXE
Plans Perfected for Half Mill
ion Structure on West
55th Street.
TO HAVE MOVABLE RING
Major Biddle President, and
Notable Men Accept Other
Offices.
TO HAVE MOVABLE RING
nv CHARLES +. MATHIsoN.

As result OF the untiring efforts of
the Army, Navy and Civilian Board Of
Boxing Control this city at last is to
rea1ize its ambition for a club projected
on the lines of the National Sporting
Club of London.
The new organization, which Is to be
known as the International Sporting
Club OF New York, will as a matter
OF fact outshine the English inetitu-
tion, as 1t will have a larger member
ship, a greater seating capacity and
viii supervise more branches OF sport
than the British club.
Plans for the building already have
been -rawn, and the structure, which
is to be erected on a plot of ground
100x100 at the northeast corner of
Fifty-hfth street and Sixth avenue.
will be ready for occupancy by Feb. /,
1920. The cost of the building will be
100000 and the seating capacity will
be $500
A unique feature of the club will be
movable ring, which will be so con-
structed that the boxers will enter it
In the basement of the building. Ele-
waiting mechanism will raise the ring
TO the level OF the main floor, and the
contestants then will be ready for the
gong.
The Broadway Sporting Club of
Brooklyn has a basement In which the
boxers prepare for the ring and enter
the auditorium by means of stairway
leading to the ringside, but the NOV
able ring appears to be an entirely new
idea.
To Run on Member Ship Plan.
The new club, of which Major An
thony j. Drexel Biddle of Philadelphia
IS the president, while confident that the
Walker bill legalizing boxing in this
State will be passed at the next session
of the Legislature, will in the event Of
the failure of boxing legislation. proceed
on strictly membership basis. 1t is
not unlikely that twenty round bouts
will be held. Regarding the legal status
of the club, the officials have issued this
statement:
With the object of ascertaining
the precise legal standing of the ,
club in regard to boxing contests in
which monetary prizes are involved,
as distinguished from contests in
which belts and other trophies are
the sole reward, the services of high
legal authorities have been employed.
The presidents and reported decisions
interpreting the statutes affecting the
legality of boxing in the State of
New York have been closely exam
ined. and an unqualified opinion has
been given that boxing is within the
law If conducted in bona fde men,
bership clubs to which admissions
are not charged at the DOORS
Clubs of this class have been con-
Quoting boxing contests for several
years in Rochester. Buffalo. Syracuse,
Albany and many other cities in this
State, with the full sanction and APP
prevail of the authorities
Authorities Not Hostile.
The holding of boxing entertain
ments at which professionals COM
pete, as at the New York Athletic
Club although only occasionally, af-
fords conclusive proof that there is
no hostile disposition on the part of
the authorities to clubs which are
properly conducted and provide clean,
wholesome boxing; on the contrary.
they encourage and assist them, but
they are sternly opposed to the en-
tertainments in which the public are
victmized either through the insin-
certify Of the contestants or the du-
plicity of the promoters.
In the remote contingency of the
authorities at any time deciding
otherwise, there are abundant
sources at hand for interesting and
exciting boxing, entirely independent
OF professionals who box for money
prizes. There will be no less than
one hundred industries with five
classes in each), and forty State
which will be held at the Interna-
tiohal Sporting Club of New York.
These. with the army; navy, marine
and air force championships. will
represent upward of six hundred
championship finals, in which con-
tests will be held for trophies only.
The charter which has been granted
to the International Sporting Club Of
New York by the American Board of
Boxing Control is of the same kind
that granted by the British Board
of Boxing Control to the National
Sporting Club OF London, investing it
with the exclusive right to hold all
the championship contests for the
Lonsdale belts and other trophies
under it's roof.
Elimination Bouts.
Five nights in each week elimina-
ton bouts will be held in the heavy
weight, light heavyweight, middle
weight, lightweight apd featherweight
classes OF championships in all the
leading industries State and inter-
state championships and army and
navy championships one night in
each week being reserved for finals
In these events and other important
contests.
The auditorium of the club will be
at all times available for bona-fide
wrestling, fencing and billiard cham
pionships and for the amateur box
ing championships which are annu-
ally held under the auspices of the
Amateur Athletic Union.
The Amateur Athletic Union has
accepted the offer of the InteTna-
tional Sporting Club to hold under it's
roof the national amateur boxing
championships which have hitherto
been held In Boston, the metropolitan
championships and the elimination
bouts for the Olympic games, in
which boxers from all parts Of Amer
fca will compete.
In order that those among tho gem
eral public who are devotees of man
ly sport may enjoy and participate
with the members OF the club in
boxing, wrestling and fencing for
world championships, stadium with
a seating capacity of 10000 will be
erected in or near New YORK. ana
when the bill drafted by the Board
of Boxing Control which has already
t rAcafVad tbA anprova1 nF fba Canata