The Washington times., 1921-04-04

Somewhere in this broad land Of
ours golf may be considered the great
american game. but evidently not in
the District Of Columbia. Not in the
National Cnpitai.
A sporting editor of wide fame
made the unqualified assertion re-
Gently that golf players far outnum-
bered devotees OF baseball in the Je
United States, aud declared the bogie-
caddi- -mashie sport to be our national
pastime.
Col. James A. Drain. department
commander OF the American Legion,
was quick to back up this statement: I:
In fact, he went even stronger than
the sporting editor in extolling the
virtues of golf.
Loyal baseball fans summarily
challenged Colonel Drains statements
and a few fellow-golfers rallied to
his support.
BASEBALL IN THE LEAD.
The Sporting Editor OF this paper
, has repeatedly called for the opinions
OF all devotees OF the two games. 1t
hooks like the baseball boys have won
| the argument. but the verdict has
not yet been finally rendered. II you
are supporter of golf and believe II
| to be our national pastime, speak
| now or hold your peace forever and
| for all time thereafter. The oppor-
| tunity Is still open to you to advance
your arguments in favor of golf as
! the national game.
In the meantime. listen to this.
| from Charles Letlow:
'T beg to differ with Colonel Dram
In regard to which is the national
game in the United States. find
| ninafV-siy sapdlnt ha haI In
Washington. We will say each team
has twelve players. as extra men are
| carried by every team. This gives
Washington 1,152 baseball players.
This does not include school or col
lege teams or hundreds of boys play
| ing baseball here. ! am sure we could
not find 1,152 golf players in the Ma
tional Capital. Never have I seen
email boys playing golf. but on the
other hand, find boys from six years
up playing baseball.
DID ENLISTED MEN PLAYs
Colonel Drain. as a soldier, knows
| that golf was played only by officers
in the army. I ask this: Has anyone
| ever seen golf played by enlisted men
in the army? Any day you could see
our enlisted men playing baseball.
Why? Because it is the national pas
time of the U. S. A Baseball goods
were issued to each troop or company.
| In my twelve years service l never
saw golf ball or any other golf
| goods issued in the army. The rea-
| son: 1t Is a rich mans game.
Now, for the interest in the two
! games in question: In New York city
| As, 900 spectators witnessed one game.
In Chicago 1900 spectators witness
game. In Washington $4,000 speo-
tators turned out for one gama. and
so on in every large city. ask Col
onel Drain II any golf match was ever
witnessed by $4,000 spectators.
II claim baseball Is Americas ma
| tional game because ten persons can
| be found playing IL where one is play
ing golf. I claim baseball is the ma
tional pastime of the U. s. A. because
500 to one single person will turn out
to see baseball instead of golf. This
puts baseball so far, ahead of golf
| that 1t leaves no question as to our
national pastime."
l.. ID. TAYLOR SPEAKS.
| And likewise give eye and ear to
| this from the facile and graceful pen
OF Lawrence B. Taylor:
| Colonel Drain says the youth OF
today needs more self restraint and
ability to know when and how to
act. u agree with him, but baseball
teaches all of this, and besides, very
few people do not understand base
ball.
80 / agree with Clark Griffith. He