The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-11

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11-Can fem
cling be revived in this country as
popular form of athletics2 An effort
TO create interest in it is now being
made by devotees of the sport.
When looking twice at a pretty
woman might mean a challenge to a
duel, dexterity with a blade was
matter of life and death to any man
of rank. In consequence, every gentle
man studied fencing earnestly as a
part of his training to grace society.
And when hand to hand encounters
with swords werc still a customary
method Of fighting battles, swordplay
was an important part of a soldiers
training. With these uses for skill
! at handling blades, the art of fencing
flourished.
Now dueling is against the law
everywhere. Even in the Latin coun-
| tries, where AN encounter is still oc-
casionally reported, the duelist is no
longer regarded as a dashing and TO-
mantle hero, he once was. 1t is even
/ said that 1t is no heinous crime to re-
| fuse challenge-and this means a
/ Oi6 OhhL6C puDIlC OplulOI, lOI W
/ refuse to fight once meant ostracism.
| Modern warfare has almost banished
| the sword. In the few cavalry char
ges of modern battles, the rider swings
/ to one side of the saddle with his head
| close to the horses neck and his
| sword thrust ahead. If he misses one
man, he rides on to the next There
is no sword play of defense. More
/ often, when cavalry troop fights,
! it puts its horses together and attacks
afoot with carbines or pistols.
Since its practical uses have been
| abandoned, fencing is neglected in this
country especially. Now, the inter
national fencing match between a
/ British team and an American team,
which is to take place this month, is
expected to arouse popular interest in
this sport.
This country has had flares of In
J terest in fencing since its dueling days
In Roosevelt's administration, notably,
fencing and horseback riding became
the fashionable sports. The President
! fenced, so did his daughter Alice, and
General Leonard Wood, and so, in
consequence, did the diplomatic and
official sets of the capital
/ Chiefly an Army Sport
Since then fencing clubs have been
maintained chiefly by officers of the
I army and navy. Fencing always at
! tracts some college students, too In
fact, many of our swordsmen today
are college-trained men. But fencing
! draws small crowds compared with
football and tennis, and this accounts
partly for the small number of swords
men developed by the colleges. In
continental Europe fencing tourna
ments are backed by public interest
champion teams go from place to
] place, as the tennis stars do. to com
pete in well-attended matches.
In spite of the slump in fencing in
this country, we did get together
enough good swordsmen to make I'D a
team for the Antwerp Olympic games
The story goes that when this team
won third place against the crack
teams of Europe, there was a much
I surprise. The captain of the Belgian
( team came to Major F. w. Honeycutt,
! captain of the Americans, and asked If
it could be true that the American
1 fencers had won from the strong Dan.
/ ish team. Major Honeycutt said that
1t was true. Then, please accept my
I most cordial congratulations. said the
Belgian You know, you Americans
were not supposed to win from any
I body"
At these games. the British and
American fencers became good
friends. They talked then of a match
between the two countries to promote
skill in fencing. The match that is
10 be held is a result of these plans
1t is the first one arranged, and there
will be others every four years.
The international fencing matches
are sponsored by an honorary com
mittee composed of President Harding
chairman, and the secretary Of war
the secretary of the navy, the British
ambassador, the American ambassador
TO the court of st. James, Admira
Sims, and General Pershing.
An International Prize.
Colonel Robert Thompson has giver
beautiful bronze trophy representing
Achilles with his spear at the faller
Hector's throat. This trophy is the
work of Gleb Derujinski, the vel
known Russian sculptor, now living ir
New York. 1t is to be held during the
four years between matches, by the
victorious team
10 win the international trophy, {
team must win the bouts with two
out of the three weapons. This yea
+ the foil and dueling sword bouts vii
be held in Washington. and the sabe
match in the Aston hotel in New York
? Next time, the two teams will NEE
in England.
The American team is to be cap
| tanned by Major Honeycutt. who LEI
the Olympic team. Major Honeycut
+ was collegiate foils champion an
captain of the West Point team II
1906. Later, his work as military at
tache abroad offered no opportunit,
, for fencing. Then the war came on
and Major Honeycutt was at the frs
battle of the Marine with the Frencl
outfit.
;. In 1919 he returned to his colleg
sport, after 10 years, and he won tn
=, national foils championship for 1925
We have, in Arthur Lyon, of tn
, New York Fencers' club, what 1
! known as a fine three weapon man,
Z for our team. Mr.. Lyons handles vel
the three weapons of fencing: the fol-
! dueling sword or rapier and the sabre
: His fencing is further interesting, Il
= that he is said to fight 40 per cen
= above his reputation when he engage
in a serious match AZ 0Dn fenca