The New York herald., 1922-07-19
BRITONS LAY TENNIS
DEFAULT TO MONEY
England Disturbed at Action
Two Section System
Is Urged.

1ONpcN, jury 10 tAsSociatcu 1 iceS('-
The British Lawn Tennis Associations
decision to withdraw from competition
for the Davis cup, announced yester-
day, has created a sensation among
tennis deYotees.
The tennis councils action was due
mainly to financial considerations. 1t
was learned to-day. 1t was declared
the British Lawn Tennis Association
lost more than $1,000 on last years
invasion of the United States. and de-
spite the fact that this years tile" In
the United States would be in the final
round of the tournament another heavy
loss would be inevitable owing to the
fact that Major A. r. F. Kingscote and
Randolph Lycett would be unable to
participate.
Tennis players generally finance
transatlantic tours through a tourna-
mtnt levy of two shillings for each COM
petition they take part In. The general
feeling is that England should Eot have
challenged unless she was prepared to
go through with the matches. The sem
timent prevails that men like Gilbert.
Gcrdon-L Lowe. Campbell and Turnbull
were capable Of putting up creditable
fight.
Two Section Tourney Urged.
On the other hand, 1t is pointed out
in tennis circles that this years partial
collapse of the Davis cup competition
with a succession OF defaults through
heavy expenses duo to transatlantic
| tours has proved the case for those who
| assert that the competition must be re-
modelled. The Westminster Gdsette'S
plan is to divide the competition into
two sections--one American and the
other European-giving every challenger
each year the option of playing through
either section.
Gerald L. Patterson. the Australian
| player, informed the Associated Press to-
| day that he warmly supports this plan,
under which only one country each year
would have to face the expense of a
transatlantic voyage. The French. Bel
gian and Spanish players. and some OF
! the English players, including McNair
| formerly Davis cup team captain. also
favor such a plan.
Regret over the withdrawal Of the
British team Is universal. but while
this attitude in some cases Is based on
sharp disagreement with the associa-
tons action, it takes form elsewhere In
deploring Great Britain's lack of enough
| first rate players to make a team.
Newspapers Take Varied Views.
The Daily Telegrdph's tennis expert
| has this to say:
This rather inglorious end to Great
Britain's Davis cup campaign of 1922
reveals a serious executive blunder
| somewhere. Great Britain ought not to
have issued a challenge and played the
first round If further pursuit of that
challenge depended upon the business
affairs of two men. When countries
! like Czecho-Slovakia and Italy-com'
parative strangers in the internationa
arena-can send teams abroad. 1t Is a
thousand pities that the oldest lawr
tennis country should withdraw sud
! denly.
"If Kingscote and Lycett could no
go to America three or four other play
ers could have been found Their jot
might have been as hopeless In pros
pect as that of Italy or Czecho-Slovakia
but it would at least have been under
taken-with courage and camaraderie.
The Daily Mail says that 1t is nos'
unfortunate. to say the least, that II
should be necessary to give Spain q
walkover. but taking the facts as they
are, the association did the correct and
sporting thing in returning the favor tc
Spain instead Of possibly defeating them
and then retiring from further competi.
ton. The moral is. 1t says. to strive In
future years to have sufficient talent
available so that 1t will not be neces'
sary to rely upon two players.
Sporting Life says: British tennis is
badly deficient in players OF really first
class ability. Kingscote and Lycett are
the only two men who would have had
any real chance against the United
States. There Is evidently a need foi
some organized scheme to encourage
and develop youthful talent"
The Daily Netos sporting editor In
dorses the associations decision and
contends that it would have done little
good to send an experimental team even
though 1t included such promising play
ers as ]. 3. Gilbert and Cecil Campbell
"a severe drubbing would have been in.
| evitable.' 1t says.