San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-10
URGES TENNIS
PLAY To KEEP
U.s.. IN LEAD
Dwight Davis Works for
Development Of Young
Players.
LIKES MODERN STARS
Trophy Donor Strong for
Tilden and Johnston,
Present Champs.
LIKES MODERN STARS
BY ROBERT EDGREN.

Dwight f. Davis, who was named
by President Harding as assistant
secretary in the War Department, is
a well known tennis player, famous
the world over as originator of the
Davis cup international matches. Mr.
Davis expects TO give a large part OF
his time in the future to developing
American sports.
The country is changing its view
of sports" said Mr.. Davis last week.
The tendency now is TO play a game
rather than TO go see it played.
During the war We discovered with
something of 4 shock that our men
and boys were not as healthy and
hardy as we thought. The country
had changed from the old days when
every man was a pioneer, hunter, trap
per or farmer. They have been at
it ever since"
Naturally, Mr.. Davis. who starred
in the period around 1900 when Bill
Larned, Malcolm Whitman, Holcombc
Word and William Clothier were the
kings of the tennis world, is most in
terested in tennis. He was second
to Malcolm Whitman in national
ranking.
Develop Young Players.
As park commissioner at st. Louis
he found that per cent of the st.
Louis population played tennis on the
municipal courts. When he was elect
ed president of the L. S. Tennis As
ISOLATION his first plan was to get
more municipal courts built all over
the country. He says that only de-
veloping of young players will keep
the United States in the lead when so
many nations are aiming at tennis SUI
premacy.
1.-The spread of Tennis in Japan, y
saws Mr.. Davis. lis astonishing The
Japs are determined TO best us at our
own game and take the Davis cur
across the Pacific. Tennis is now 9
compulsory sport in japanese schools
and the youngsters are showing re
markable skill and rapidly developing
players who may become world cham
pions.
Twenty years ago l was in Japan
AT that time there was only one ten
mis- court in the land. and the few
men who had racquets played in their
kimonos and batted a soft rubber
ball around. The rise of their play
ers has been so rapid that in 1921
the, japanese reached the challenge
round in the United States for the
cup.
England is realizing the import
ance of developing young tennis play
ers and has written here for our plans
for the promotion Of municipal tour
naments. While the game is now
being played nearly, all over the world
the strongest competition will come
from Great Britain and Japan. while
on top. the United States cannot af
ford to stand still. The national as
ISOLATION will work to develop young
talent. It's the only way to stay in
the lead"
Modern Pair Greatest.
Bill Tilden and Bill Johnston, &C.
cording TO Mr.. Davis, are the great
est players the game ever produced
!. He says the tennis Of today has i'm
Z proved greatly in science since his
* time. twenty years ago, but that the
present-day stars are not as much SUI
perior to the old-timers as the TENN,
= public believes.
"Tilden and Johnston" he says
"would win majority of theil
matches if they could be pIteC
against some of the old-tinfers at the
. top of their game, but the decisions
would be close"
"The technique of the game is more
rounded than ever before. The de
I velopment has come in successive per
& iods. For a time there was concen
tration~at the net until suitable de
fense was perfected. Then the attacl
shifted to the. back court. Stars Of