New-York tribune., 1919-12-22
Human Equation Lost
Sight of in Opinion of
Critic of This Method
By Fred Hawthorne

There is no doubt in my mind that
the ranking committee of the United
States National Lawn Tennis Associa-
ton, In ranking the leading players
Of the country for the season of 1919,
spent many arduous hours in arriving
at it's final conclusions and did it's
work conscientously and disinterest-
edly.
That committee was guided entirely
in it's work by the new "math ematical"
process of ranking the players, more
or less complicated system Of obtain
ing a line on just what player has
accomplished during the season of
tournament play. | have heard this
system highly praised by those inter
ested and the statement has frequently
been made that it is absolutely infal-
lible in its working, the final results be-
ing an exact appraisement Of the play
er'S worth.
Where Figures Lie
1t seems paradoxical to say it, but
figures lie in this case The commit
tee has completely discarded the hu-
man equation in setting up its rank
ing and has taken up with mathc-
matical, mechanical process that con-
tinually errs in rating the players
There are many, many instances of
this. | could pick out half hundred
probably, were | to go over the men
and women's singles list and the mems
doubles list
AS an illustration, and entirely at
random. take the cases of A. L. Green
jr., Of Chicago, and Vincent Richards
of New York. What magic do the
committees tignres contain that can
elevate Green to the No. % position
ard set Richards national indoor
champion, at No. 32, full "class" be-
hind?
You never heard of Green? What
did he ever win? | can only tell YOU
that A. L. Green jr. once won the
Cnlcago city championship in singles
and that he was Ralph L. Burdick' s
doubles partner last season, and that
90 not believe he could defeat more
than three or four of the men ranked
IN the next twenty below him Out
side of Richards. we fnd Maurice E.
Mclaughlin, of California, placed be-
low Green, as we'll as Harold Throck-
morton, Robert lie Roy and Peck
Griffin, just to mention some of the
more striking cases.
| have already referred to the p!ac.
ing Of Axel Craven. of san Franci SEQ
IN the No. 10 position. where he tons
the men have mentioned, besides
H. G. johnson, Leonard Beekman and
Dean Mathey.
Hardly of First Ten" Rank
| am not speaking blindly, for saw
Green in several matches at Cincinnati
and at Chicago last summer. In the
metropolitan lawn tennis distric. he
would hardly be in the "tirst ten
ranking men at the West Side Tenni:
Club.
The committee, in explaining its
methods, remarks that 'the rating:
speak for themselves" They do, for
sooth, but what is it they say? Ger
tainly, not that this new system" is
fair gauge of players worth.
To go back to the top of the heap
the committee has stated that mer
rated within five points of eacn other
arc in the same class. Yet We fin,
William NJ. Johnston at No. with {
rating Of Ills and Tilden at SIS. Is
not Tilden in the sare class with the
champion?
These two players met four times
during the season of 1919. Tilden de.
feated Johnston twice, once in the East
W. st matches ut Cincinnati, and once
at the Newport Casino, ana Johnston
was victorious twice at Chicago, in the
final Of the national clay court cham
,s,s =, ~. Il ~ EaroSt Ef1l, 1,r. Go.