The New York herald., 1922-12-12
OLD TENNIS REGIME
IN ENGLAND BEATEN
Reformers, Attacking Its In
ternational Policy, Win
Seats From Officials.

LONDON. Dec. IL (Associated Press).
The powers -that-be in Great Britain's
tennis world were scored to-day by
speakers at the annual general meeting
of the Lawn Tennis Association for de-
faulting to Spain In the Davis Cup
matches last summer. for rigidly adj
herring to their recognition only of tho
winners of the Wimbledon tournamenu
as world champions. despite the Ameri-
can protests. and for failure to extend
an official welcome to the HarvardYale
players who visited England during the
past season.
The meeting was attended by mors
than 400 delegates, representing all secs
tions Of the United Kingdom. and in
the elections to the governing council
the critics Of the old regime won some
of the seats away from those who have
ruled the game here for years. N
A. Wallis Myers. noted tennis critic.
led the attack against the older mem-
bers of the council. He declared Amer
lea was anxious and willing to cooperate
with the British Federation in the mat
ter of settling the worlds champions
ships, reminding the federation that the
Wimbledon tournaments, being of inter-
national character. depended upon the
cordiality of relations maintained with
the governing bodies of the foreign
countries.
At the opening Of the session, Lord
Desborough. president of the federation.
declared he recognized the dissatsfac,
ton over the default of the British Isles
team to the Spanish in the last sum-
mer's Davis Cup matches, but said the
council thought that as the Spanards
We're new team. and anxious to go to
America, 1t would be "hard on Spain to
put our best team against Them.
sHumiiiating Default"
Mr.. Myers then termed the default
"a humliating surrender. for the frst
time In the history of English Davis
Cup teams" and, answering a remark
that the British were financially handi-
capped, read a letter from Captain
Alfonso of the Spanish team saying that
the Spanish Federation had an income
Of onIy'f40 annually and that the team
was helped to America by advances
from the American Federation.
America got her (Spain) out OF her
difficulties after Britain had gotten her
in" Mr. Myers remarked He then read
an excerpt from an Australian newspa-
Der quoting Gerald L. Patterson, captain
OF the Australian team, as saying upon
his return home:
I'm contrast to the casual official re.
ception in England OF the Australian
Davis cup team. the welcome in Amer
ica made us feel at home"
Continuing, the speaker declared that
the Cambridge and oxford tennis players
were given a great reception in America,
but that when the Yale and Harvard
men returned the visit an attitude OF
official aloofness on the part of the fed
GRAFTON was observed throughout the
visitors tour Of the British Isles.
Defends Council.
Defending the council, II. G. Monck-
ton. its vice-prcsident, advocated con-
tnucd adherence TO the policy of recog-
nizng only Wimbledon winners as world
champions. Recalling that England was
given the right OF the matches In per-
petuity when the international federation
was formed at a meeting America Of
ficially declined to attend Mr.. Monckton
said:
"The English at that meeting thought
if they did not put the Championships in
their pocket somebody else would. and
somebody else probably would have got
Il by this time. Now you reformers want
to throw it back 10 the dogs"
Regarding aloofness toward the visit
ing American colegians. Mr.. Monckton
said: I'VE were never invited to go down
to the train and welcome theme You see,
that's the awful fact. There is nothing !
about welcoming teams in the constitu-
tion."
Mr. Monckton assured the delegates of
his belief that the English federation
soon would come to a happy agreement
with the Americans.