The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-06
AMERICANS INVITE
BRITISH FENCERS
Suggest international Event
to Be Held In Washington,
Philadelphia and New York.
ny SAMUEL j. BRooKMAN.

England has been invited by the Amer
lean Fencers' League Of America to
send team here next spring for an in
ternationel competition with all three
fencing weapons. foils, sabres and duel
ling swords. Tho invitation suggests
that the team be composed OF twelve
men. SO that the squad may be as rep
resentative as possible OF the strength
Of the amateur fencers OF Great Britain
1t is the intention Of the American Of
ficiais to spread tie competition over a
period OF two or three weeks and TO hold
each OF the three divisions Of the tour
nament In different cities. The tenta-
tive arrangements call for the first
event. duelling swords, to be held in
the national capital next May in con-
nection with the annual Washington
horse show. One week later the Eng
lish and American squads are scheduled
to cross sabres on the lawn OF the
Merton Cricket Club Of Philadelphia,
Foils, unlike dueil;ng swords and sabres.
Will be held indoors at the Hotel Aston
in this city seven days after the Phlla-
delphia event.
The Amateur Fencers' League of
America has offered large bronze tro-
ply to the winning team, along with
replicas of the trophy to every member
Of the victorious squad. 1t Is to be
strictly team competition and the WIN
ming team will be the one that wins two
of the three events or possibly all three.
The Fencers League has every reason
to believe that the Invitation will be
accepted. Just before the return to this
country Of the American team that COM
peted In the Olympic games the British
fencing officials assured the Americans
that an invitation from this country
would be welcomed BY The British fonc-
ers and expressed the opinion that an
annual series between the two countries
Would be splendid thing for the sport.
The Americans agreed and the invita-
ton that has just been sent Is the re-
suit
England is particularly keen to come
here to engage our fencers next year
because Of the fact that In every one
of the Olympic fencing events the Amer
leans. although they did not win any
team titles, outscored the British by a
comforta BILE margin. The latter are anx-
ious to turn the tables on the United
States team.
The British may not find 1t possible
to send twelve iirst class amateur
fencers to the tournament next year.
but it is safe to predict that the squad
will include at least half the sug-
scsted number. In any event tho
tournament Is likely to furnish a record
for International fencing In this coun-
try, for In no previous event of that
character have there been more than
three men a side. In choosing to hold
the duel!ing and sabre competitions out
of doors and the foils event indoors
the Amateur Fencers' League is fol-
lowing the established custom at
Olympic tournaments.
The international event viii come soon
after the date usually set for the Amer
lean natl nal championships, and VIII
find our fencers at their best. Fencing
Is very popular in England. particularly
since the close Of the war. and In
actual numbers the British have greater
strength than the Americans, but they
will have to improve over their form
In the last Olympic games to have
good chance Of taking the trophy back
to England, particularly since some OF
our best fencers, who could not spare
the time fer the trip to Antwerp last
summer, VIII be available for the team
next May. In the latter group are
Sherman Hall. national amateur foils
and sabre champion. and George IL.
Breed, the Olympic fencing team cap
tain who was forced TO abandon the
trim on the eve Of the teams departure
for Belgium.
Henry Breckenridge Of the Washing
ton Fencers' Club. one-time Assistant
Secretary of War. and an excenent
foils fencer, is chairman or the inter-
national fencing committee.
There is a possibility also that earlier
in the fencing season spain may seho
a team here for an international com
petition. II will be remembered that
negotiations for team match with
the Spanish fencers we're begun ,ass
fall and arrangements pracucany nau
haa,, completed when the Americans
received word that owing to the In
ability OF the most prominent swords.
men TO make the trip the event wouid
have to be abandoned Inc SpaIlisn
So,cina officials. however. may reopen
negotiations this year.