The Washington times., 1924-01-04


Tilden was just a bit austere
when first approached on the mat
ter Of the executive committees .
latest Interpretation Of the amateur
rule. He was 1mparting the nicetieS
Of the drama to the adolescent mind
at Germantown Academy at the
moment and merely murmured
Every interesting" when shown tho
Oommittee's report. Later, he
thawed perceptibly.,
Writing is my chosen career"
he said. THE committee may not
know that began working for
newspapers while in my junior year
at college and have been identified
with the writing game since then.
] hadn't even won q State title
during my early years in the news.
paper game. so that my work was
not dependent upon my ability us
q tennis player Neither was the
fact that / have done dramatic
and music reviews for metropolitan
papers nor that / have had eight
fiction stories accepted by maya.
Slnes in the last eighteen months.
"You can't sell fiction with a
tennis racquet nor can you see
it on o city desk, as I have done,
unless you are q practical news
paper man OF real experience and
Initiative.
Frankly cannot see that the
Interpretation applies to me, III.
though it Is barely possible that !
am the man at whom it is di.
fected."
The Interpretation in question
was drafted by the tennis aSso.
cations amateur rule committee,
approved by the executive and wi ),
In turn, in the form of resolution
be passed on to the annual meet
Ing in February for approval. The
resolution declares that the writing
Of articles for money by tennis
players is a violation of the asso.
cations bylaws. and, in part pro.
ceeds. to wit:
"But 1t is not intended hereby to
declare a person ineligible who nas
Tor many years, been engaged In
the bus ness of writing articles &s
his permanent and only business
and whose income from such bu,;i
ness Is. not substantially affected
by his, playing tennis. "ns~-~
Tilden is pleased to believe that
this provision let's him right out,
but evidently feels that the exc.
Cutive committee does not view
the matter in this light.
Il am heart and soul an anna
teur and have refused five offers
to turn pro-" he said. staring Ine
writer out Of countenance. IF the
executive committee thinks the
player.writers are getting by on
their tennis regulations, let the
committee pass a rule forbidding
players to use their titles in sign.
ing articles. My name is my own:
given to me by my father and not
by the United States Lawn Tennis
Association.
That is all l care to say right
now. I will wait to see what will
be done about the resolution at the
annual meeting in February"
1.-THE nationwide sweep that ten
mis- has enjoyed during the past
few years has caused a loosening
OF regulations that at present
threatens the very foundation of
the sport" reads a report that
George T. Adee, chairman of the
Amateur Rules Committee, will
make to the parent body. "It con.
Germs the amateur status of play.
ers to whom tennis is becoming a
vocation rather than an avocation.
''HOw to preserve the best ira
ditions of the greatest of all in.
ternatiOnal sports, without cur
failing the enthusiasm and pre-
rOgatives Of the players, IL
problem which cOnfr0ntS the gov
erning body in America as well
as abroad.
''The Amateur Rules COMMITTEES
exists for the purpose Of doing its
part toward the preservation OF
amateur standards in the game of
tennis. Tennis has become so
popular, the competitions for su.
premacy so keen, and the desire on
the part of some players to succeed
has become so strong that they
have not realized there is this very
serious problem to face. Some play.
ers have sacrificed their business In
devoting too much time to tennis.
In a few cases players have solved
their problem by playing tennis
q great deal and making money
"on the side" although not as Ill
rectly as by actual playing or
teaching for money.
"The committee looks upon this
Introduction of money-making or
commercialism into the game with
grave concern and alarm. The
ideals Of true sportsmanship are
not being upheld when a man plays
the game without any interest in
II whatsoever, other than the in
terest to play the game as a game
for the games sake, and to play II
merely as a recreation and for
pleasure.
"The committee calls attention
20 certain abuses-the practice Of
players receiving substantial sums
Of money for writing tennis
articles. The committee is in
favor of players writing articles
on tennis as much as they like
or as much as they can find time
for from their business, but 1t
does not approve Of any player
making wlIat amounts to o living
out of writing articles In cOnnec-
tiOn with playing tennis. A play
or in SO doing violates both the
E. Union p|' s||~