Evening star., 1925-12-27
BRITISH SEE SPORT
MORE THAN SPORT
Interest in Games Goes Far
Beyond Mere Winning
and Losing.
BY JOHN GUNTHER.

- NJ
Daily News.
LONDON, England. December lS.-
Every one knows that in England
snort is more than just sport.
In this country mere game may
become A business like soccer. foot
han. or a science. like rugger or Il
social institution. like cricket; or
profession. like golf: or positive re-
licion. like billiards.
The English are good sportsmen.
nrohably the most complete sportsmen
IN the world. Their interest in games
goes far beyond mere winning or los
Ing As often as not, when they play
their games. the tradition of a couple
Of centuries is watching them. making
OF their play something OF q ritual.
Thus. Winter sports in England diff
Z = u manner as well as IN klhu from
nose III America. The chief autumn
aud Winter sports in England are
ace. 5cjs,ion foot ball tsocCer>. rugby
foot rail- uusgerl. ice hockey and. espe-
.,l4.- among the wealthy, hunting
and shooting OF these only Ice
hockey il CorrespondinCly represented
IN America The rest are different
.ames. played in a different spirit and
under different tradition.
billiards Given Preference.
Among indoor Winter sports those
Or chief importance. since hasket ball
end howline are unknown. are hli'lar rdS
and "hadminton." a sort Of comhina-
ton Of indoor tennis and squash
r@CketS.
Eilliards in England is very different
from the billiards in America. The
came is PLAYED on an enormously large
table. almost half again as large as an
American billiard table. II is played.
too. with much smaller balls. Indeed,
IN American watching an English hll-
lard match for the first time is likely
to he reminded of the good old game OF
narhleS-marhles PLAYED with shiny
sold balls on huge green table. The
resemblance is heightened in an odd
way because English billiard tables are
e0ripped with pockets-the game itself
being a cross between American bill
liardS md pool.
Il an American billiard match. even
an important one. the spectators are
likely to be shirt -sleeved. the room
thick with cigarette smoke. But in
England because it is the oldest and
most respectable of all English games.
billiards is a very formal affair. The
spectators do not wear shirt sleeves:
thev vear-if the match Is important
thinner Jackets or full dress. They
do not smoke. And the comment one
hears are whispered words like: Ex-
ouisite"'
Occasionally, after a. player has
made a neat cannon, one hears: We'll
PLAYED Charming"
Scoring, too. is apt to make an
American chuckle. The scores run to
enormous sums. At recent cham
pionship match the referee at the end
or a period whispered forth: Steven
son, 16.543; Newman, 1920"
A championship match lasts three
u 81
and evenings, with intervals called for
tea and dinner.
Differs from American Game.
Technically. the game differs from
the American game chiefly in the size
Of table and balls and the presence of
pockets. Officially the modern Eng;
lish game is called "three-b ball French
ca mon billiards" Such enormous
scores We're possible-one champion
made a run OF 42.746-that recently a
reGula ton imposing an 1s-inch balk
line on the table and the use of all
six pockets as hazards was put in
force.
The table mes sures IA feet by Z feet
IL inches. The balls neasu not
less than two and one-siXteenth inches
in diameter or more than two and
three thirty-seconds inches. and are
three in number. The cues are longer.
hut otherwise similar to American
cues.
Billia rds is an extremely ancient and
honorable game in England and re
mains in the position it has held for
almost 400 years-the chief indoor
Winter sport of the English gentle
nan who is not strenuous enough for
=tiuaSh. rackets or ha nd ball.
But attendance A a championship
match will convince any visitor that
IN England billiards is as much
religion q 5 mere game.
t rpyright 1925 by Chicago Daily News Coz