Evening star., 1921-12-11

Oest ways to Drlng
About Good Relation
ships Among Nations.
How American Ath-
letes Are Aided by
Government.
! L INTERNATIONAL competition in
sports between individuals or
i teams representing the United
States and other nations is pas
sively fostered by the governments of
the various countries which are lead
ers in athletics and all forms of
sporting competition.
The United States in particular is
active in furthering international
amity through various sporting
events, in which individuals or teams
representing this country travel
abroad to meet athletes of other
nations.
While little. if anything, is said out
| side OF official circles regarding the
passive assistance the United States
government gives to teams of ath-
letes representing this country when
they travel abroad for purposes of
competition. it has been manifested
IN many ways that interna tional
sporting events bring together citi-
zens, of all nations in a closer bond
Of sympathy and understanding.
Outstanding among the interna-
tional events on the sporting calen-
dar are the Olympic games, held
every four years. The last Olympiad d
was held at Antwerp last year, and.
as in many preceding Olympic events.
the athletic teams representing the
United States were victorious The
Army transport service put at the
service of the American Olympic COM
mittes an entire vessel for the trans
atlantic trip. did everything possi-
BILE to facilitate granting of pass
ports. and in many other ways. self-evi-
dent to the man interested in amateur
sports. the government helped to
make the visit of the American ath-
letes an unqualified success.
Within the past few years interna-
tional competition in golf and tennis
| has grown to be a feature on the
| sporting calendar. anticipated with
! pleasure by millions of devotees of
both games on either side of the At
lantic. In tennis. quite recently a de-
cidsd international flavor has been
given to the competition by the ad-
vent of two Japanese-Ichiya Kuma-
/ gae and Zenzo Shimidzu-both having
attained high ranking in American
tennis. Teams of tennis players rep
resenting Australia have drawn con-
a little competition to American devo-
/ tees Of the net game.
! X X x ::
DEGINNING in 1911. when Charles
Evans. jr.. and a small band OF
! American golfers ventured to England
to attempt to annex the British anna
teur championship, several ventures
have been made by Americans to win
the British amateur golf crown. That
these ventures are furthered by both
governments is the confident claim OF
sporting authorities.
! Walter J. Travis. dean Of American
players and a lone invader, won the
British amateur title in 1904 and since
that time. notwithstanding the un.
questioned caliber of the American
invaders. no player from this coun:r,
has been able to win the title. Rober,
A. Gardner Of Chicago came within 8
putt of winning the British title last
year. losing to Tolley on the thirty.
| seventh hole Of their match.
This year, backed by the good wish
es Of various administration officials
and given every possible assistance b!
men high in the government. team
of golfers representing the very bes
| in this country went to England tc
battle for the British amateur crown
over the historic links at Hoylake
Their downfall is now a matter o,
history and it fell to Francis J
Wright, a hitherto untried youth. te
20 further in the event than any Other
American.
Only a few days later Jock Hutch
ison, an Amer!canized Scot. profes.
sional at the Glen View Club of Chi
cago, overthrow the best of the Brit
ish and French professional golfer:
at st, Andrews, winning the British
open championship from the best field
that ever competed in the classic. The
team of American professionals in
cluded the best in this country and
although nomina1ly sent abroad
through subscriptions obtained by the
| editor Of a golf magazine, really OBJ
/ tanned a great deal of assistance ant
most generous consideration from the
government.
Americas polo team finally annexed
the international trophy in matches
held last summer in England, while
a rifeman from Washington, Waite,
II. Stokes, captain Of the George
Washington University team, won the
world championship last August al
Lyons. France.
| The recent visit of Mile. Suzanne
Lenglen, French woman tennis star
to this country was fostered chiefly
through the French ministry OF
sports, it is said. Valuable assist.
ance to Mile. Lenglen's trip was given
by NJ Vidal. the French minister Of
! sports, and tho trip was made pleas
| ant through the assistance Of Ameri.
can officials and sportsmen. The