New-York tribune., 1922-06-11

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tment from many American games ana
in so saying use sentiment in its old
fashioned Victorian sense, meaning the
pleasantly flirtatious. highly proper associa-
tion in athletic activities of well bred ladies
and gentleman. Kindly note that in making
this observation the word Contest is not
used. for the type Of pastime to which
refer was not contest in any sense Of the
word.
My memory goes back far enough to recall
many graceful pictures Of summer afternoons
on the tennis court, the croquet ground or the
newly organized golf course where the back
ground was composed Of equal parts of decor
ously clad males and charmingly gowned
women The swish Of fans and the rustic OF
feminine apparel mingled with the whispering
Of the trees. At intervals lemonade and laugh
ter. cakes and conversation were shared IN
the shade.
All, me! What a change has taken place!
How far away It all seems, as ancient and OBJ
solete as the autograph album and "The Co
dey's Lady Book" which have been replaced
by the latest sex novel Of the day.
The lady has been ruled out Of athletic pas
times; her place has been taken by the woman.
For this she is herself largely responsible. The
same zeal which resulted in the suffrage has
led the fair ones TO challenge mans supremacy,
with the inevitable result. They have become
more widely separated than ever before. While
there is certainly more feminine independence,
there are undoubtedly more ephcmeral mar
riages. quicker separations, fewer children and
more frequent divorces. This is all reflected in
the tendencies of what may be called the polite
sports.
Certain games are by nature aristocratic.
Certain games are also by nature male. There
is polo, for instance. Polo is essentially
game for male aristocrats To indulge in polo
argues the possession of a number Of expen-
sive ponies and access TO a large expanse of
highly manicured lawn. These in themselves
are beyond the average citizen. II has been
estimated by the Department Of Parks that If
a polo field were constructed for every eight
citizens the city limits would take in both
North and South America and Australia. Nat
urally the project has been dropped. There
fore my interest in such articles as appear in
Country Life" on "How to Keep the Polo
Field in Condition" is purely academic.
Football, on the other hand is a male-demo-
cratic sport. It's features Of rough, personal
contact while they offer attractive possbi-
ties, have never seemed TO attract womankind.
Such exercises in a stadium are too public.
"Hink" Hagedorn, the blond Norwegian full
back Of st. Paul University, once refereed a
match between the local team and eleven
husky giantesses Of the Northwest, but two
minutes after the whistle was blown he was
obliged to rule out the entire home outfit for
holding in the line.
But there is a classification Of athletic
games Of aristocratic lineage in which the
social relations Of men and women find a
friendly environment impossible amid the mob
violence Of football game or the blatant de-
mocracy of baseball.
Such was the ancient game Of lawn tennis.
It's very name with its implication Of a we'll
kept greensward, bespoke certain solvency
which gave it tone. From a neglected desk
drawer I recently ressurrected faded photo
graph portraying a lawn-tennis party staged
on a court near my ancestral home. The
participants were contemporaries Of my par
ents, the date in the late Eighties. One Of
the sportive gents, evidently not of the tennis
outfit, sood on one side. He wore natty
knickerbockers with prominent buckles and
long visored cap and his left arm was
thrown caressingly over the seat Of high
bicycle The others were clad in the proper
sports costumes Of the period, the ladies in
fowered bonnets, teed-up jauntly above their
scalloped bangs tight jersey waists, buttoned
up-or down-the back, and skirts Of becom-
ing ankle length, the men in zebra-striped
blazers, flannel shirts and voluminous duck