New-York tribune., 1921-04-23
Harding Joins
In Praise for
DavisCupTearn
Dinner at Hotel Biltmore
Is Continuous Round of
Congratulations to Victors
By Fred Hawthorne

Startlng with message OF con-
graduation from President Harding,
who expressed his regret at not being
present, the dinner to the victorious
Davis Cup team at tho uotal Biltmore
last night was one long psan Of praise
for the men who placed the United
States on top Of the lawn tennis world
William T. Tilden I'd, worlds singles
CHAMPION, William M. Johnston, of
California; Richard Norris Williams I'd
and Charles S. Garland, worlds doubles
champions; Samuel Hardy, team cap
tain, and Watson M. Washburn.
Sir Auckland Geddcs, British Am
bassador to the United States, was the
guest Of honor Of the United States
Lawn Tennis Association, and sat be-
tween Julian S. Myrick, president Of
the association, and George r. Adee, u
former president.
At the speakers table, besides those
mentioned, were Tilden, Williams, Gar
land, Hardy and Washburn. johnson
was not on hand, but sent his tele-
graphic message of regret, with the
added Injunction: eve simply must
keep the cup here"
Also at the main table were Edwin
Fuller Torrey, vice-president Of the as
sociation; Joseph Nj. Jennings, treas
urer; Dwight F. Davis, donor Of the
cup; Miles S. Charlock, J. S. Cushman,
Colonel Wait C. Johnston, u. S. A.;
Martin W: Littleton, Harry W. Slocum,
Charles Garland, Paul B. Williams,
Harold H. Hackett and George W.
Wightman.
Ambassador Geddes made ire
mendous hit with the 400 guests pres
ent when he said: II wish to deliver
to you the heart congratulations not
only Of England but Of Australia,
Canada and the rest of the great Brit
ish Empire on the greatress Of your
tennis achievement, and also on the
personality Of the men who composed
your team-they are big men,"
:, The men who have struggled for
this cup" continued Sir Auckland,
have done as any ambassador in MAX
ing the nations of the world under
stand one another That is one of the
things that makes lawn tennis the
great game it is.
Briton Lauds Tennis
II would like to talk to you, ladies
nd gentlemen" added the British Am
'assador, with twinkle in his eye and
in his voice, mot in the ponderous
words of an ambassador, but rather as
an enthusiastic but quite inexpert ten
mis- player. Tennis the greatest of
games. That sounds to you like safe
thing for me to say, because all Of you
here believe it to be true, but / am a
Scot, and my life will be unsafe for
the next few days when my remarks
are made public. know the many let
ters | will receive, and not all of them
will be mplimentary.
Sir Auckland, in pointing out why
tennis was greater than golf, for in
stance, declared: "You can't lie about
your tennis as you can about your golf, y
and this made decided hit with the
audience, all except Martin w. Little
ton, an inveterate devotee of the links,
who followed the Ambassador at the
speakers table.
spects to Sir Auckland and the other
guests stated that tennis did not
measure up to the standard of golf, in
his opinion. "Whcn you play tennis
somebody on the other side Of the net
is always interfering with your game,
while in golf you yourself are the only
one who interferes," declared COLTS
staunch advocate.
President Harding, in his message ia
Myrick, after expressing his regret at
not being able to attend and extending
his congratulations to them team, sale
he looked forward with pleasure te
Tilden and the others will play in ex.
hibition matches on the White House
courts.
Cable Con0ratuIationa
The English Lawn Tennis Associa.
with the message, "Long live the two
Bills!" and then came speeches ir
rapid succession from almost ever,
prominent player in the East.
xflf Dwight Davis declared he was
proud to think Of how the cup he gave
more than twenty years ago had raised
the standards of play and Of sports
manship. "Tennis is now the universal
game, the worlds greatest sport, and
these men, Tilden and Johnston, are
the worlds champions Of the worlds
greatest game"
Tilden was given great reception
when he rose to speak, after Davis had
presented him with one Of the minia.
.ure Davis cups given to each member
OF the team. II will now call upon the
greateat q these, champion Of Eng
land, champion Of the United States,
champion Of the world" said Davis, in
introducing Tilden.
"It's long journey, thirty thousand
miles," said "Big Bili," "but this little
cup Is worth 1t all. value it more
than any cup have ever won, or ever
shall win, unless it be another like it.
1t will ee like returning home, almost,
when I go back to England to defend
my title at Wimbledon, for the English
tennis crowds always made US feel at
home, and that is the way I will feel
when l again step upon q British
court"
Williams, in speaking Of his expert
ences on English courts, declared that
British tennis audiences are the finest
in the world. "They value tennis not
for the sake Of the individual, but for
the game. Their applause is for the
quality Of tennis shown, irrespective
of who the player nay be. The cabled
report last summer hat we, and par
ticularly Bill Tilden, wsre hissed when
we came cut on the c,44rt at Wimble-
don was lie, and I an glad to be able
to make this statement III the presence
Of Sir Auckland.
Sam Hardy, in describing the trip to
New Zealand, said: "ln Tilden and
Johnston we have the two greatest
players in the world to-day. When we
reached Aucklan dand I realized that
Norman Brookes had come back and
was almost as grea tas he ever was, ]
realized the magnitude Of the task that
- AnR .