The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-01-12
BrOOkeS Praises U. $.
 Tennis Players Style
Australian Veteran Says This Country Has Vast Amount of Material Declares He and Partner Were Given
 Warm Reception By Yankee Fans

tennis team sent to the United States by the sports board of the Australian Imperial Forces, Norman E. Brookes declared recently his belief that the American people are "the most friendly in the worlds His com plissaent is given further point by his oomrnendation of the national cham pionship in which he participated, for he said ''I never played in any chanapionshIp in which the conditions were so good"
 The return of the former worlds champion to his home in Melbourne was delayed by the illness of Mrs. Brookes, who suffered an attack of appendicitis. That he was given splendid welcome at home goes with out saying, the Australians being ak Wimbledon and in the United States. &rS 1rAf
 Followers of tennis in this country will be greatly pleased to read his statement that he will be glad to raturn to the United States in 1920, with Gerald L. Patterson. to defend t1hstr national doubles champion ship.
 The Sydney "'Rsferee'' of December third, just received '-Austrar' com NAents on the value of international competition, passing his conclusions on an interview with Adr. Brookes, as fHoHows:
 'Twhen I vetured week or two back to point out in this column the true value and Justification for Inter national contests, had no idea whatever that the purpose which I considered was their best justification was ths actual purpose for which MT. Norman Brooxes and his teammates want across from England to the United States of America
 sIn a conversational too short which I had with the captain of ths A I. F. tennis team, which is what our team to America really was, he said that as far as he personally was concerned he would not have gone across to America for the purely pri- vats purpose of competing in the American championships; but he was asked to do so by the A. B. F. au- thoritieS so as to promote Lnterna- fional good fellowship between the American and the Australian, and, of course, Great Britain. Evidently the authorities are waking up to the value of such propaganda work, and in no way can 1t be better or more pleasantly done.
 "It really took me-" said Mr. Brookes, some time to make up my mind to go over. I would have pre- ferred a Quieter time, and to get back home to my children, and my wife wished that also. However. we enjoyed the trip greatly, and found the American people the most friend 1y in the world. Nothing they could do for us was a trouble to them They spared no effort to make our trip enjoyable, and think it did a great deal of good in the way the authorities had wished in promoting good, feeling between our peoples
 '~The tone of the onlookers around the contests was greatly improved since 1914, and I feel assured that the objectionable applause during the rallies that occurred formerly will never occur again. Of course they are used to doing it in their baseball matches and did not know that other countries would find it annoying. In stead, this time they were most sporting in their attitude towards our men, and though, of course, they were pleased when their men were win ming, they did not applaud at the wrong time.
 'I want to say for all our team how greatly we enjoyed the trip and how much we appreciated the kind ness and great amount of trouble the Americans went to. The conditions for the matches were perfect never played in any championship ir which the conditions were so good The officials controlling the games were also perfect in their work 1T every respect The umpirfng was splendid They have formed ar Umpires' Association. All the mem bers of that body are trained in theil work before the championships com mence, and so we were always sure O. getting men on the lines who knew the rules, not merely good players or foremost men in the game wh: might know what a footfault was or whose attention might be on tn progress of the game, forgetting tha they had to decide whether a bal was in or out. We should initiate tn same idea here. Each umpire has badge to show that he is skilled They are in complete control of tn umptring.
 ssw. M. Johnston is very much lik w A I.arned in all his strokes an methods. He is sound in every par of the game, and has a beautiful forehand drive. Tilden has @ greate variety of strokes, but suffers from
 lack of temperament. He gets ex oited during the play, like some c fIae Cintenental players. I conside Williams as good as any player liv ing He plays perfect strokes on bot A--6ackNand forehand- He was still,
 consider, suffering from the effects c the war. I think in little while h will get back into his best form, an will then, probably next year, b hard to stop. Johnston is playing a well as he was before the war.
 doesn't seem to have left any effee
 on him.
 .sThe Japanese champion, Kums
 eae. is one of the first five men
 America He is almost wholly
 5ackIine player, but is learning th
 yoIley and picking it up well. He
 unite a decent volleyer already. H
 and his partner, Slkimidzu, whom z
 a pair I met while in Calcutta, bot
 play their forehand strokes so nuc
 like H. A. Parker that I asked thel
 if they had ever seen him play. The
 told me they had not seen him, b1
 had developed their strokes on the
 own.
 '.I don't think Vincent Richard
 who was, with Tilden, doubles chan