Evening star., 1923-09-30
WOULD NET SPORT
REVIVAL, IS CLAIM
Without 1t, Stagnation of
Amateur Athletics Is
Predicted.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

~ District of Columbia to be
4 \ stifed or are they to be de-
veloped to an extent rightfully to
be expected in territory including
a considerable number of sports
loving colleges, schools and clubs?
That is the big question pro-
pounded recently by the amateur
athletes here and the answer is
strictly up to the National Amateur
Athletic Union.
District sportsmen have petitioned
that body for a charter organizing a
new division of the A. A. U. with
headquarters in Washington that IL
granted will cause amateur athletics
to flourish in this vicinity, they claim.
They also claim that should the ma
tional body refuse to divorce the
Districts interests from those of the
present South Atlantic A. A. U. divi-
sion, the game here would be knocked
for the well known row OF brick
shanties.
So it appears that with President
William Prout, Secretary Fred Ruben
and other big guns of the National
Amateur Athletic Union lies the fate
Of District amateur athletics. 1t may
be known soon, for broadsides were
hurled at the controlling board last
week by way of Uncle Sans mails;
and the A. A. u. heads are expected
to take the matter under advisement
! this week.
Appeal Due to RebufYs.
The appeal of the ama%eurs here IS
the result Of a series of rebuffS dealt
them over a course or many years
| by the South Atlantic division OF the
artro ~ q To l.
more. Time and time again Wash
ington sportsmen have clashed with
the Baltimore authorities without
gaining a point. Always South At
lantic interests have meant Baltimore
| interests and nothing else:
And frequently the Baltimore IN
terests have been confined to ver3
limited field. Prominent clubs there
have been left in the colo at times
by the arbitrary South Aflantlc
board, and just recently reactionarv
group by clever politics grabbed con
troll of the division. ousting a baltl
more bloc that had shown signs OF
relenting and granting more supstah
rial recognition to that part or the
division outside Of the headquarters
city. o,,,h. a,d
several Baltimore institutions iSt 49,,
mission to membership in the South
Atlantic division were tabled by Ine
high-handed governing authoFttsies, Ire,
| hut organiza tions favorable to tnen
taken into the fold. This was tne
straw that broke the came, EaSo D con.
cerned. They realized at last lla
o+hIno- was to be gained by compro-
n,ise-that anything they were 10 get
must come out of bitter Struggle
Fight Is Renewed.
So the fight against the sway or nis I1e
South Atlantic division over the Dls
,-;gorousIy than ever. At the instance
| Of lanes v. Mulligan. long promlnenI
| an amateur sports in the east, COL
/ Ieees, schools and CLUBS mere sen
| delegates to meetings ana ~ "as u
( cided definitely to leave the BAIT
! rnora crowd to itself. This was easy
| enough to do, but now the greater
| battle is on. ,.L
| The athletes here have no fight with
| the National A. A. U. Rather, Ihes
! esteem IL highly and are averse 10
! hreaking with it. But break with II
tbav will. rather than submit to the
tyranny of an organization that can
see nothing beyond the limits OF bal-
timore city. It's a division ensirel9 lo
independent of those interests or ho
! =. A u. here now.
The institutions seeking recognition
have enough prestige 10 comnlanu
the respect of the National A. A 7.
Those who have expressed themselves
in favor of q division Independent or
Baltimore interests are George WASH
! ington University, Catholic UNI
versity. Central High School. Marjorie
| Webster School. Washington Canoe
club, ''C'' Club, Capital Athletic Club.
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company Athletic Club, American
Legion, Western Athletic Club, Drift
| ers' Canoe Club, Tidal Basin Swim
mers, Wardman Park Athletic Club
Aloysius Club and Western Athletic
Club.
/ Others Ready to Join.
other institutions here also are
! ready to join the proposed division
and interest in the project has been
, aroused in Virginia and North Caro-
lima. In those states amateur athletes
feel they have been Stunned by the
South Atlantic A. A. U.-South At
(, lantic in name, but not in scope. North
Carolina University is kindly disposed
toward the plan and SO are Old Do
minion Boat Club Of Alexandria and
several Virginia high and prepara-
tory schools.
All of these are prepared to come
to the front and make a real A. A. U.
branch of the Piedmont division-the
name proposed for the body thai
would have jurisdiction over the Dis
trict of Columbia, Virginia and North
Carolina. They consider Washington
geographically and logically an ideal
J location for headquarters of their
athletic interests.
All of this has been told the Ma
tional A. A. U. in plain language and
it is up to it to decide the issue. A
division independent of the Baltimore
outfit means real amateur athletics in
this section. If none is sanctioned
decline in the A. A. u. group Of sports
in the Piedmont territory is bound to
come.