New-York tribune., 1920-01-11

dous responsibility resting upon his
shoulders, and feeling, too, that
Brookes had considerable justification
for his show of nerves." | was satis-
fed that, in spite of these outward ap-
pearances, the man was one of the fin
est of sportsmen.
And the latest news from Australia
brings justification for this faith, ]
believe. In an interview with R. M.
Kidston, the famous "Austral" of "The
Sydney Referee" last month, Brookes,
speaking of his reception last summer
in the United States, referred to the
American people as "the most friendly
in the world" and expressed his keen
desire to return here next season with
Gerald L. Patterson and defend his
holding of the national doubles cham
pionship.
Praise for West Side Club
AS to the way in which we conduct
our great championship tournaments
over here, Brookes had this to say,
tourney at the West Side Tennis Club,
in August: "I never played in any
championship in which the conditions
were so good"
High praise, this, from a man who
has appeared at Wimbledon, at Nice,
at Cannes, at Monte Carlo and on the
courts Of his own country. 1t is pos
sible that this silent, inscrutable mas
ter OF the racquet was mellowed by his
tour years experience in the World
War, but, however it is, Americans
will warm to him anew when they read
his friendly words
"Austral" gives this foreword to his
talk with Brookes:
"When 7 ventnrod q ,rool, Nv w..
back, to point out in this column the
true value and justification for inter
national contests, | had no idea what
ever that the purpose which I consid-
cred their best justification was the
actual purpose for which Norman
brookes and his teammates went across
from England to the United States of
America.
I'm a conversat tion--all too short
which had with the captain of the
Australian Imperial Forces lawn tennis
team, which is what our team to
America really was, he said that, so
Tar as he personally was concerned, he
would not have gone across to America
Tor the purely private purpose of COM
petlng IN the American championships
but he was asked to do so by the
A. +. r. authorities, SO as to promote
international good fellowship between
ta'neflca anC AuSt~alla. and, OF course,
Great Britain. Evidently the authors
ties are waking up to the value of such
propaganda work, and in no way can it
be better or more pleasantly donc.'
American People Friendly"
1t really took me-, said Mr.. Brookes,
some time to make up my mind to go
over. | would have preferred a quieter
time, and to get back home to my chill
dren, and my wife wished that also.
However, we enjoyed the trip greatly,
and found the American people the
most friendly in the world. Nothing
they could do Tor us was trouble 20
them. They spared no effort to make
our trip enjoyable, and l. think it did
great deal of good in the way the
authorities had wished, in promoting
good feeling between our peoples.
"'The tone of the onlookers around
tne ne contests was greatly improved since
!914. and | feel assured that the OBJ
Jectionable applause during the rallies
that occurred formerly will never occur
again. OF course, they are used to do
ing it in their baseball matches and
did not know that other countries would
find it annoying. Instead, this time
they were most sporting in their at
tltude toward our men, and though, of
course, they were pleased when their
HCu WC1c whining, CueY ala not an
plaud at the wrong time.
"'I want to say for all our team how
greatly we enjoyed the trip and how
much we appreciated the kindness and
great amount of trouble the Americans
went to. The conditions for the matches
were perfect. / never played in any
ampionships in which the conditions
were so good. The officials controlling
the games were also perfect in their
work in every respect.
1.-THE umpiring was perfect. They
have formed an. Umpires' Association
All the members of that body are
trained in their work before the cham
pionships commence, and so we were
always sure of getting men on the
lines who knew the rules, not merely
good players or foremost men in the
game who might know what foot fault
was, or whose attention might be on
the progress of the game, forgetting
that they had to decide whether bali
was in or out. We should initiate the
same idea here. Each umpire has a
badge to show that he is skilled. They
are in complete control of the umpir-
ing.
Johnston Plays Sound Game
"W. M. Johnston is very much like
w. A. Larned in all his strokes and
methods. He is sound in every part O :
the game and has beautiful forehand
drive. Tilden has a greater variety of
strokes, but suffers from lack of tenn
permanent. He gets excited during the
play, like some of the Continental play
ers.
az consider Williams as good as any
player living. He plays perfect strokes
on both lack and fore hand. He was
still, | consider. suffering from the ef-
fects of the war. | think in a little
while he will get back into his best
form and will then--probably by next
year-be hard to stop. Johnston is
playing as we'll as he was before the
war 1t doesn't seem to have had any
effect on him.
""The Japanese champion, Kumagac,
is one of the first five men in America
He is almost wholly backline PLAYER
but is learning the volley and picking
it up we'll He is quite a decent vol.
leyer already. He and his partner
Skimidzu, who, as pair. met while
in Calcutta, both play their forchand
strokes SO much like H. A. Parker that
| asked them if they had ever seen
him play They told me that thew had
not seen him. but had developed their
strokes on their own.
" I don't think Vincent Richards. who
was, with Tilden. doubles champion
till Patterson and beat them, will do.
velop into a first class champion. 81
course, he Ia very young and one can't
~