Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-08-19
by GEORGE JOEL

portunity TO show the public just what
he could do. He was called upon to
pinch hit. The Giants were playing st.
Louis and were losing. With two men
on bases Andy singled and scored two
runs, which tied the score. The twen-
ty thousand fans that were present
gave Cohen wonderful ovation when
he came to bat and after his timely hit
n roar of approval went mp that could
be heard for miles around. Which all
goes to prove that New York City Is
firmly behind Its first Jewish ball
player.
Nghting.-The chance Of having an.
other Jewish lightweight champion has
been given a substantial boast. Louis
(Kid) Kaplan, who gave up the feath-
erweight championship. has blossOmed
out as a lightweight In his first fight
he decisively defeated Tommy Cello in
n ten round bout. Kaplan won because
of his aggressiveness. Cello didn't have
n moments rest while he was In the
ring as the kid" took matters into his
own hands and forced the fighting
throughout the bout.
Yale Okun is the only Jew in the
world that has held the amateur light
heavyweight and heavyweight cham
pionships. Since he has turned profes-
sional he has been unusually successful
and bids fair to make lasting mark In
the "hefty" divisions. This week Yale
defeated Tiger Thomas In an S-rOund
bout. Charlie Johnston, Okun's mana-
ger, told us that he had matched Yale
for a fight with Jim Maloney of Bos-
ton. Should Okun lick Maloney the
road to the top will be well laid out.
Tennis.-It looks very much Ms
though Northern New Jersey Is going
to have Jewish tennis champion. Ern-
est Kuhn by defeating Il. NJ. Kirkland
in straight sets advanced to the fifth
round and we can't see anyone entered
in the tournament who can beat Kuhn.
In the first round Ernest played a
match that lasted four hours before he
was victorious. Ernie Kuhn has near
ly won more tournaments than any
other player around the metropolitan
district. Tournament after tournment
Kuhn would work his way up into the
final round only to be defeated. 1t be-
came sort Of jiny with him. Often
he would have a match won and for
some unaccountable reason his game
would let down and he would be de-
feated. 1t was only after he won the
state championship that he was able to
break the jinx.
Five feet four inches tall and weigh
ing about 135 pounds, Kuhn is able to
streak around court and his compact
ness gives him great stamina. Ernie
uses fast chop stroke as defensive
and offensive shot. He is an excellent
net player. but prefers to remain in
the backcourt. His overhead game is
deadly and we think were he to adopt
net game his victories would in
crease. Kuhn rates among the first
hundred best players in the country.
This column has been going its way
without the aid of correspondence, but
this week we received rather scathing
Indictment from one of our readers.
We reprint with thanks Benjamin s.
Welling's welcome letter:
Patiently for many months have
read article after article ON the terrific
struggle that is the Jews when he tries
out for an athletic team. Tales galore
We're spread out under scare heads ad.
vising the world of this great evil.
Telling with delicious details of the
utter unfairness and the spleen with
which the Jew was saddled. At first
| was amused, but the repetition has
become boring and what is more this
contention is ninety per cent untrue.
THAT there is prejudice against the
Jew is platitude and n truth, but it
must also be remembered that there is
n prejudice against Catholics, Metho-
dists, Baptists, Christian Scientists,
vegetarians, cats. dogs. politicians, one
piece bathing suits, actresses, reform
ers and bed bugs. Still the prejudice
existing against these things has not
deferred them from increasing, living
and conducting themselves generally !;
neither has the prejudice stopped the
Jewish athlete.
In sports where team play is not
used the jew has been prominent
Fighting and tennis have many Jewish
participants and stars. In baseball
there are few Jews because there are
few good Jewish ball players. John
McGraw, manager OF the New York
Giants who has never shown any par