The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-12
SUzY LENGLEN QUIT
IN Big TENNIS GO,
is MENKE'S OPINION
BY FRANK &. MENKE
did she duit-or didn't she7"

Dld she Qult-or didn't She!'
The quizz concerns Suzanne Leng- |
len, of France-and 1t involves the |
nastiest international sporting scandal |
in history
The conspicuous officials in the |
United States Lawn Tennis associa. |
ton take the attitude that the French |
wizard, faced by certain defeat in |
America, feigned illness and deliber-
ately quit in her match with Molla |
Bjurstedt Mallory.
The ruling powers of the French
Tennis Federation vehemently ~
sented the so-called slur upon tho
sport reputation Of its greatest woman
tennis player-and, in rebutta1, take
some vicious pot shots at America
and American craftsmanship.
While the debate as to whether or
not Suzanne was a gutter was at
fever point, along comes Captain Al H.
De Joannis, vice president of the
French Tennis Federation, and the
| man who managed the French tennis
wizard on her tour of America, with
the statement:
I'm view af the attitude of the
! French Tennis federation toward Ar-
erica and Americans in the Lenglen
| instance, I can do nothing else but re-
| sign. I was with Mile Lenglen on
her tour, saw everything that trans
pired and | must cast my lot with the
Americans in this instance. Instead
of being discourteous and unkind to
| Mile. Lenglen, they were exactly tho
| opposite. They gave her the best of
everything and gave her every chance
| in the world, displayed remarkable
| craftsmanship toward her in face of
her peculiar conduct and they are
to be praised rather than condemned"
Charges Supported.
1t would seem. therefore. from all
the evidence, that the charge of Amer
lena tennis officials that Suzanne
Lenglen deliberately quit to Mrs. Nal
lory is a well supported one.
The French girl came here touted
as wonder of wonders. She had
beaten Mrs. Mallory on the other side,
but only few knew that when the
game. courageou American girl low
cred the colors, it was at a time when
| Mrs Mallory was not at her best. She
had been ailing for several days prior
to her matches, but rather than call
them off. went into the battle and
took beating.
But when the day came for the
match between the two on American
soil, both girls seemed to be in SUI
perb physical condition. 1t was a
different Molla Mallory that confront
ed Suzanne Lenglen that afternoon
at Forest Hills, New York; it was the
dashing, wonderful brilliant Molla
Mallory of old; full of fight, full Of
fire, full of brilliant ability.
| Oh NTNJ ase ~ Il fo
the first set seemed to take the heart
out of Suzanne Lenglen. Molla Nal
lory beat her at every department oil
The net game. And everyone at the
. tennis courts that afternoon knew
that nothing but miracle could save
: Mile. Lenglen from a beating. IN
doubtedly the French girl knew it as
well as anyone else
: Began Coughing.
Toward the latter part of the first
set she began coughing after the loss
of each point. The more points she
surrendered, the greater became her
coughing and the more noticeable her
physical distress. When the second
set had just started and Molla Mallory
. was sweeping along on her irresist-
t ible way to victory, the Lenglen girl
deliberately called for an end of the
| match and announced that she was
l in such condition that she could not
. continue.
Everyone was properly sympathetic,
1 Everything was done for Suzanne in
. the form of sportmanship that could
! be done. When it was announced that
! she had suffered relapse Of bronchial
5 trouble, everyone was sorry.
But, almost Immediately after the
S match was over, the very sick" Su-
p, zanne Lenglen started dancing and
2 according to officials of the Z. S
1 Lawn Tennis association, danced sol
E idly for nearly seven hours.
It was argued later that if the
French tennis wonder was so dis
Il tressed and so sick and so feeble thai
; she couldn't go on with the tennis
E match, she certainly would not have
been able to stand UP under the strain
!, Of dancing for single hour. Yet she
: danced for nearly seven hours and
i showed no i'll effects.
Seemed Perfectly Well.
From that time on Mile. Lengler
continued to show no signs of illness
She seemed perfectly well and perfect
ly normal. So the tennis officials oi
America tried to get her into another
match with Nolla Mallory. but every
time the match was proposed, the
French girl quickly would insist that
II was impossible. owing "to the con
dition of my health
In studied fashion, the French CIR
lodged every offer with another match
with NTolla Mallory.
And now the French Tennis Fedora
ton is awfully mad at the U. S. Lawr
Tennis association because some Of
its officials have taken the position
which is supported by Mile. Lenglen's
own manager that she feigned i'll
= ness rather than go down to defeat a
= the hands of the wonder girl of the
. American courts.
Copyright 1921 BY King Features
Syndicate, Inc.D