The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-26
Ring Beginners
 Should Be GiUen
 Chance e to Learn
Boxing Clubs Should Have Four-Round Bouts for Green
 Youngsters on Programme
By JAMES J. CoRBETr.

Gotham promoters, operating under the new law. so far have failed to take into consideration the development of fledg- ling ring warrlorS.
 So far none of the clubs has included four-round affairs for youngsters in the. programmes. All the bouts have been ~over the longer route and have involved lighters who are more or less eXpert- enced.
 The only way the sport can be per petuated is to develop the boys. They must be worked along gradually. They can't t-~be asked to step out and box six, eight or ten rounds in early professional engagements. Four rounds is about as far as kid should go until he has been boxing professionally for over a year.
 WAY CHAMP BEGAN Benny Leonard got his start as a four rounder. In certain measure, so did Jack Dempsey, Jack Dundee, Johnny Kilbane and all the other stellar per- formers began their careers by fighting in short prelminares or in clubs where four-rounders were the rule. And it was a long time before any of those boys were competent to travel farther. No club operating in Greater New York has staged any four-rounders up to this time. And such failure, I think, is an er- TOT For the Joys must be given a chance. Otherwise, in a few years the sport would die natural death due to lack of good fighters to succeed the fading veterans.
 It is my thought that the club that puts on two four-rounders, a 10-round semi-final and 15- round final will have an ideal card. That means chopping the programme down from the present 40 rounds of fighting to B. But I think the crowds will be just as well satisfied Comment so far has been a mild crit 1cism because the promoters have been giving too much fighting per night Most of the fans think that p rounds of preliminary battling before the main af- fair is too much. Eighteen or 20 rounds are quite enough. 1 daresay, the public would be as well pleased with two four rounders, one six-rounder and the final a Hereunder, a total of g rounds, as they are now with 40.
 In the old days, when the Horton law was operative, a nights programme rare ly exceeded 34 rounds of scheduled bat ting. Often it was just 30 made up or W-rounder, six-rounder and a four-rounder On special occasions the semi-final was 10 rounds instead of six. making it 34-round programme
 And no one complained.
 FAVORS FOUR FOUNDERS
 I'm greatly in favor of four-round bouts, not merely because such bouts give the youngsters chance-to develop but because battles between the recent iy graduated amateurs always are in- teresting and exciting. The youth. un like champion, has everything to gain, and not much to loose
 So he goes out and displays the best that is in him. He doesn't stall or clinch or loaf. He's out there boxing to the limit of his ability. He's anxious to show how good he is; he's earnest. sin. cere and whole hearted in his efforts. And bouts in which two foemen throw all they've got into the battling are the kind that quickly develop novices into first-rate boxers.
 shorter preliminary bouts, fewer rounds on. nights card, that means a fnan- cial saving to the promoters, and the public, I'm sure will be just as well pleased as it is now
 copyright. 1920 by King Features Syndi-
 cate InC)