Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-01

l. NO more colorful story than that
woven about the DAVIS, the SYM
Dol that for fifth Of century has
meant world wide supremacy In team
tennis play for the nation that held 1t.
In no other branch Of athletic en-
dcavor have mon gone to SO much effort
to win nor travelled go far for the sport
Ing chance Of pitting their ability
against each other with no reward ex.
cent the red -blooded fellows satisfac-
tion in meeting an opponent In fair
game doing his best for the honor OF his
nation.
Baseball has Its world series: pu.
gilism boasts Of worlds titles: golf has
its American and British open cham.
pionships; polo has its international
cup matches and so has yachting; but
in none Of these are 30 many countries
entered and interested. trying year
after year. often against hopeless odds.
as in Davis Cup tennis.
Since the cup was donated in 1000
by Dwight +. Davis. of Washington.
d. c.. now a vice president Of tho
United States Lawn Tennis AssOcia-
tion, three countries have held it-tho
United States, British Isles and Aus
tralia. though as many as thirteen have
contested for it in one year. Australia
has kept It longest, winning and defend
ing it six times; America and Great
Britain five times each.
Today at Forest Hills. l.. l., Aus
tralia meets America in the first of the
1922 challenge round series. 1t is the
sixth time the antipodeans have faced
the United States stars in the deciding
round.
nv.f0
L between the United States and
Great Britain. 1t was conceived by
Dr. James Wright, for many years
and leading player In the early days
Of the American game. He started
negotiations in 1897. and British
players came here that year, but the
first cup contest was not held until
1900.
First Match at L0ngwoOd
THE first matches were played at the
L Longwood Cricket Club. near Ros-
ton, MIR. Davis and NJ. D. Whitman
representing this country and easily
defeating A. w. Gore and +. D. Black,
of England. The contest was unsatis-
factory. since the courts were ant
eaten and uneven. the net was not hung
or stretched properly and the British
players were unused to the American
ball.
However. England challenged again
in 1901. but later could not organize
representative team and waited until
the next year 10 come to America. They
lost. but returned here in 1903 with
the famous Doherty brothers and won
easily, losing only one Of five matches,
nd hot ht.n hnt Info
During the four years that the cup
remained in England other European
nations became Interested and chal-
lenged. The United States did not chal-
lengc in 1904, but Belgium and France
did and lost. In 1905 Australia made
Its premiere with n team that will live
long in tennis history-Norman T.,
Brookes and the late Anthony +. Wild
ing.
Australia was defeated by the United
States, which lost to England. but in
1907 Australia defeated America in a
preliminary round--the only time this
round after entcring-and tn" antiIO-
deans then defeated Britain and took
! the cup home. I'ndaunted by three
successive failures, America challenged
Australia. and then the real story
began to become written.
! In 1908 Bcals Wright and Fred H.
Alexander defeated England and then
went to Australia. With the score 2-1
Australia on the final day BroNkes and
Wright played n match that lasted
three hours, and both had 10 be carried
from the field. Wright winning.
A LEXANDER became so unnerved
"A watching that match that he was
In nervous tatters when he started
TO play the deciding match with
Wilding and was easily defeated,
McIOughlin's Debut
A MERICA again challenged in 1909
n and reached the challenge round
The series was particularly significant
because il marked the first appear
anco of Maurice Il, Mclaughlin, the
"Cnlifornia Comet as n Davis Cup
player.
The preliminary "tic" was played
against England Mt the Germantown
Cricket Club, aud the veterans Clothier.
Larned, IInckett and Little won every
match However, none cf them was
able to go to Australia. and two youths.
Mclaughlin and NJ. II. Long, were sent
from the Pacific Coast.
The star Australians had things easy
against tho "kids" from the States,