Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-02
GEORGES STARTED
TO BOX WHEN IS
Once Office Boy, Carpenter Be-
comes Idol of France-Has
Great War Record

Georges Carpenter is n fighter in
every sense of the word. He has been
described as the most picturesque and
the most colorful man known to pugi-
lism. To the sportsmen of his native
France he is their Man Of, Destiny"
All the superlatives and more are ap-
propriate in referring to the man who
will strive for the worlds heavyweight
title on Saturday. He has earned the
highest honors of the ring in Europe,
where he is idolized as a boxer and a
gentleman. He is the possessor of an
enviable war record and has been
the Medaille Militare. He is the In
spiration Of his devoted admirers abroad
and a brilliant example of the highest
ideals in manhood.
Carpenter is not an ordinary fighter.
His appearance discourages associatlng
him with the accepted theory OF the
ring and his personality adds to this.
He is as different from the recognized
model of ring celebrity as day is from
dark. This. together with his ring eX-
ploits abroad. is responsible for the
world wide reputation he enjoys.
Carpenters greatest recommenda-
tion is the wonderful war record which
recently was substantiated by inyesti-
cation. He spent eighteen months at
the front flying two scatter obserVa-
zion airplane. He enlisted as n chauf-
feur at the outbreak of the war and
received license as an air pilot IN
May. 1915. He remained three months
with n squadron at the front, and was
then assigned to general reserve ava
tion as a spare pilot. On August IS
1915. he suffered leg injury. but re-
covered speedily, and was sent to the
front for reconnaissance work in prep
aration for the Champagne oftenSSee'
which began September %, 1913. lie
received the Croix de Guerre on the day
the offensive began, and on November D,
1915, received the Medaille Militaire
for heroic action under fire.
Illness Prevents Flying
Illness compelled him to quit flying
a month later, and in May, 1917. he
was pronounced physically unht 10
continue as a pilot He was detached
from aviation and detailed az an army
physical instructor near Paris. SIX
months after the armisttce he was
transferred back to aviation and was
demobilized.
Carpenter is like Dempsey in but one
respect. He rose from Obscurity to his
present high position. He Is the son OF
n miner and was born in Lens, the
coal mining center of France, January
10. 1894. He started work as an Of
fee hoy in a brewery, but he developed
talent as a performer and gradually
drifted from the routine Of office work
to the more lucrative occupation OF
exhibiting as part of troupe OF singers,
dancers and acrobats in the cafes and
restaurants of his native Lens.
This activity laid the foundation for
the speed, agility and strength of the
challenger in later years. Francois
Descamps, himself quite adept at la
savate in those days, was one of the
performers, and he struck up a partner
shin with Carpenter which has not
since been broken.
Carpenter was about thirteen years
old at this time, and. with Kid Mc'oy
and other American fighters popular
izing the sport in France, began to
show considerable interest in boxing,
Descamps relntes that he suffered the
first effects of Carpenters punching
power on an occasion when he at
tempted to chastise the youngster. The
punch he received convinced Dcscamps
Of the potential boxing ability of the
',lad, and Carpenter was invited to
aDescamps' gymnasium for schooling and
ltleyelopment. A lie entered the ring in
|, .007, engaging In three four, round
q bouts. CARPENTER won two OF them
|, and lost the other, receiving total OF
$1S4 for his efforts. Incidentally he
will receive this sum for each two sec
onds of his Forthcoming bout, providing
II lasts the entire twelve rounds.
Carpenter progressed slowly through
his boxing career thereafter. lie scored
his first knockout in 1oDS. when a. ban,
famweight, and yeak later defeated
Charlie Ledoux for thA bantamweight