New-York tribune., 1919-11-25
Second Glass;
Netnen Must
Undergo Test
Reduction of Entry Fee for
the Lesser Lights Would
Smack of Commercialism
By Fred Hawthorne

Ine man who wrote about the "sur-
vival Of the fttcst," expressed a whole
lot in q few words 1t has ever been
the rule that to the strongest, the most
learned, The best equipped, physically
or mentally, have gone the spoils, with
few, and marked, exceptions. This
is an axiom as true in sport as in any
other line of endeavor, and for this
reason wish to take up this morning
some remarks recently made in an
evening paper by one Of my contem-
poraries concerning lawn tennis play
ers.
In a plea for the second class"
player, this critic takes the position
that, as the second class man does not
win as many or as valuable prizes as
the first ten" player, he should not
be required to pay the same amount of
entry fee. He advocates, or. at. least.
he places the responsibility for the
opinion, in the mouth of an unnamed
second class" player, that the top
ten" man should pay an entrance fee
of 50, with men in the first fifty pay
ing So and unranked players contribut-
ing 81.
1t strikes me that this Is placing the
great game too brutally upon basis
of pure and unadulterated commercial
ism. Lawn tennis players do not play
the game for the sake of the value of
the prizes they might win, or, at least,
the number who do may be counted
upon the fingers of the two hands.
1t is true that the "second class
player and his lesser lights arc the
chief contributing factor in the life
Of the game. This is so in every line
OF sport and always will be, but that is
no valid reason why these players
should be specially favored by having
their entrance fees reduced.
Sport Depends on Them
It is the hope that some dav he will
achieve his highest ambition, namely,
the coveted palce in the FIRST ten" or
that he will do the unexpected by de-
featlng one Of the top ranking men,
that keeps the lower class men ever
striving and that means keeping the
game moving forward.
AS for the plea that the secondl class
player be allowed to play his match
upon the grandstand or inside courts
at big tournaments, small sympathy
can be found with it. What storm of
criticism would be aroused were the
tournament committee of the national
championship tourney at Forest Hills
for instance, to stage q match between
wv StNcllu SidoS pa tlS upon lut
champion stretch Of turf Of the West
Side Tennis Club while Billy Johnston
and Bill Tilden were battling upon one
of the outer courts!
No. the world loves a winner, and
therefore likes to see the best in ac-
ton. This feeling will never change
and it is we'll that it should be SO
where would the game be were it not
for the first ten players?
System Withstands Test
When lawn tennis can produce such
marycls of the court as Johnston, Til
den, Williams, McLoughln and half a
dozen others there is nothing basically
wrong with the system upon which il
is conducted. These men came through
TO fame by travelling the hard road OF
experience. which included minor
tournaments and inconspicuous courts
but each and every one possessed tht
stuff of which champions are made.
This is the only true way, in my
opinion. to "make lawn tennis safe tol
democracy" The very fact that the
great goal is always just ahead that
by constantly improving and studying
they may fall heir to the natlona
title, fame and lawn tennis riches. is
incentive enough TO bring out the best
that is in the game.
Let there be no coddling of this
weaker brothers and sisters. The fierce
FIRE Of competition, with fair fielc
and no favor, is the best solution OF
the problem of what to do with the
second class" player.