The New York herald., 1922-01-23
VESTS ATTACK ON
EAST UNJUSTIFIED
California's Slam at Our Home
Teams Not Well
Taken.
By DICK LANDoN.


OF late there has been waited into the
cold winter regions of the Eastern
States an eyerincreasing blast of hot
air from our Western neighbors. The
West is trying to impress US with its
own Importance IN athletics in general
ana. to be fair, We Will have to admit
that there Is much which should i'm
press Us. But when it comes forward
with the accusation that 1.-The East has
made up its mind to be only home
team in almost every branch of
SPORT it is timo for somebody to
speak up. The statement OF being a
homo team from those who pride
themselves on being native sous" is
rather ridiculous.
The East always is ready TO send
teams to the West, but ti,erc ara several
reasons why 1t is not SO easily accom-
plished. The fact that tho University
OF California took back to the West with
trophy for the first time In the history
of that meet was a. remarkable thing
brt then 1t was no walkaway. as the
Californlans would have US believe. a
half point margin does not make an
overwhelming victory by any means
and 1t does not necessarily show the
superiority of the Western college ath-
lete over the Eastern.
The Situation ON the Coast.
California and Stanford are the
largest colleges on the coast 50 far as
athletic reputation Is concerned. and
Just as a magnet attracts steel does a
college which has winning athletic teams
attract the athletes. Therefore these
two colleges draw from an immense
territory. whereas here in the East well
known colleges are SO close together Hiat
the athlete does not know which one 10
select. For that reason our track teams
BOAST OF one or two stars but are rnada
up in the majority of cases OF hard
working, earnest hearted fellows who
never can get into the stellar class.
Therefore. II is a difficult proposition
for one Eastern college at the intercol-
legiates TO put forth a team which can
hope to score more than a few points.
Then. too, II must be kept ia mind that
California athletes can be out of doors
the year around.
Now then, as to Eastern teams going
West. Last summer the New York Ath-
letic Club sent a team 20 the national
championships at Pasadena. on the WAY
out they stopped at Portland, Oregon
for meet with tho Mu!tnomah Club
That goes down on record as SO to So ir
Muitnomahs favor. But here's the
catch. and so far as we know nothing
has ever been said about II. Tho agree
nlent between the teams which was ar.
ranged by correspondence In advancc
stated that as tho N. Y. A. G. did not
have athletes in all the events onl,
those events should count In the score in
which both clubs were represented.
No One In Broad Jump.
The other events were to be exhibi.
tions. Now che n. Y. A. c. had no one
In the broad jump. as II was understood
that IL would not count. When tho sum-
mary was handed ia Ii was found tina,
the broad jump had been counted. and
consequently Multnomah won, 60 70 So
instead OF losing. so to 90. Through
courtesy the N. Y. "A. c. nanagernen,
said nothing, but Il hurt, nevertheless.
From Portland the New York A. c.
went on to Pasadena. There the 'flome
club" the Los Angeles A. c., won the
meet The home club could enter airy
quantity OF men and take a chance on
picking up point or two here and there,
whereas the teams which had come from
a greater distance could only afford to
send their Etars who could be counted or
for surn points.
Eastern clubs invite the big Western
athletes 10 participate in their meets and
ray these athletes expenses. or. you
don't hear OF Westerncrs Inviting East
erncrs to enter their meets with ex-
pcrses raid.
The moral that we wish To draw II
there In one Is that u would be far .~,-
ter Cor no section to blow too paach
about itself. for each can show off to
best advantage when conditions are
most favorable to Il. The truth is tina,
there are good athletes all over tho I'd
United States and no section has q
u1onupOiy.