The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-04
.fars Get Hnrd.
 Slap As Tennis Rule Is Adopted
By wnyTBROOK PEGLEn

NSosee W4e 70 The ABe-Aerul4sD NEW YORK. Jan. 3.-Famous ten his players who have been making considerable money through the lit- erary by-prodnct of their athletic celebrity must quit writing for pay in the world is also the most volu- n1inous critic and commentator on the game. and a bit of an arbiter on ethical questions as well, this detision of the United States Lawn Tennis association probably means of William T. Tilden's essays or the game itself will forfeit the wizardry of his racket.
 Vincent Richards. who only re- gently got a razor and ceased to be a boy wonder of the hand-plucked tournament lawns, is another hair trigger scrivener, and he, too. must choose between the chatter of the Keyboard and the refined quiet of 4 the courts. That is, assuming, of ! course, that both Tilden and Rich ards have received pay ~1or their The Authors league and other as- sociations of journeymen writers are taking the ruling of the Lawn Ten his association very calmly, appaf- ently in the belief that American lit- erature will suffer no great depriva- V that some temperaments are power less to resist the urge to literature during certain phases of the moon and the decision is regarded as source of future hardship for such individuals.
 Not Effective For Year.
 In order that those players who are now under contract to deliver articles to syndicates or papers may fulfill their agreements, the regula- tion will not mute the offending Tyres until January l. 1S2o.
 The ruling really is not a new one at all, but a reinterpretation of an old one. It was recommended to the executive committee of the assocta- ton by the amateur rule committee on December Is, after long consid- eration by that group. The execu- tive committee approve the report, which therefore becomes the law for those who go in flannels ana sneakers.
 The report of the amateur rule 4 committee Is about as clear ana btemperate a survey of a. troublesome i problem as any committee charged with a similar duty has ever turned \ in. It begins by recalling that Tn Mine beginning of sport there were 1.-two sharply defined classes, the heisure class and the toilers, ana that Nhe toilers in that day didn't play
 But lof late years, tennis has be- home a game of the people,. the text &reads. "The career of leisure has
 Ben supplanted by career Of ser1- Els work. The normal man Of tooay faces the problem of combining ms kyork with his recreation. In some kases, players have sacrificed their business in devoting too much time Ito tennis.
 No Living At Writing.
 I "A few have solved their prob Hem by making money on the side. laIthough not by actual playing or teaching for money. The committee lis in favor of players writing articles lon tennis as much as they like. But lit does not approve Of any player making what amounts to living out Iof writing tennis articles in connec- Ation with playing tennis"
 The report then proceeds to deplore the plight of the young tennis star T who neglects to get a start in some Z business or profession because he is smaking easy money writing for the Jpapers, only to learn when his ath- lletic skill is gone that his,-writings Jnever were bought for their own sweet sake and that his pen will not support him any more. ';f' '"97 N Star players, who may think the ] literary quality of their work is the II gauge of their play, will read dis tillusioning passage at this point. For it is related that 25 papers turned down distinctly literary articles on tennis by A. Wallace Myers, last sum- mer. and asked, instead. for articles by Helen Wills, who had just won the championship; a school gir;, about whose literary ability they knew nothing. Miss Wills refused.
 Tn order to sell articles on tennis to the newspapers" says the report as approved by the executive commit tee, "a player must spend practically all his time playing. Therefore he has a tremendous advantage over any other man who is engaged in a bust. nanfad Hrrifh Ia,