The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-08-24
BY George Barry


NEW YORK, Aug. PA In
less there IS d sudden and COM
pIete reversal Of opinion On
the part Of the powers that b
III the United States Lawn
Tennis Association, William T.
Tilden IT, has played his last
game Of lawn tennis as aIgood
and law abiding amateur.
Trial Of the charges that Tilden
violated the amateur code BY writing
about play IN the recent Engllsh
championships at Wimbledon IS to
be held before the executive commits
tee Or the II. s. Fl. 4. a. here tonight,
land III ii d foregone conclusion
lamOng those IN touch with the situa-
! ton that there Is only one chance il
thousand that Big Bill viii Be
declared guilfless and permitted TO
continue in action.
While TfIden Iii siIefense" lei
ter to Samuel "A. Colon, presi-
dent OK the association, denied
that be had violated the rule as
charged. this d regarded as
purely technical defense. The
evidence Is looked IIpon ~ con-
elusive that the defendant y
guilty . charged.
| What is hurting TiIden most n
the preliminary discussion Of hin
case before trial ii that ne ii run
ming away from i fight BY refusing
Ito attend the hearing and make his
j reply to the charges in person. Such
action IS not in keeping with Big
Bits usual method Of doing things
for In the past there has never been
any trouble In keeping him out OF q
fight Now he has retreated to B0s-
ton 10 await the verdict.
Tildeass friends who think he
i has been suspended under an I'm.
fair Interpretation OF an unfair rule,
hope to have the rule amended ut
the next annual meeting Of the
associatiOn I'm February It Is also
reported that instead Of being
barred absolutely from the amateur
courts be win draw q suspension
IOf six months which win prevent
his playing In the national singles
beginning on September 10, and
i that between now and the date for
I the annual meeting the association
viii itself seek to modify the rules
Ito permit Tilden to play next SUM
mer.
This presnppOses that some oK
4 the members Of the executive :
Bills defiance Of their acts.
/ which is not at All I'm keeping
with the attitude Of the ma
iOrity Of the committee mem
hers who have been stalking
TiIden for some little time ID
an effort to get his scalp.
Briefly. TiIden's present troubles
date back to a series Of articles
1 which he wrote in England COM
/ menting. as he called it. on the
i play of the American Davis Cup
team in the Wimbledon champions
ships. DIR. Sumner Hardy. OF the
California association. member
| OF the executive committee. after
reading the articles in a San Fran
cisco paper presented charges to
| the amateur rule committee Of the
association that the Tilden stories
violated the code.
The committee, together with the
/ advisory and financial Davis Cup
subcommittee studied the charges
/ and recommended to Samuel III. Coli
/ ION, president of the association,
that Tilden be suspended from &C
i tive play and as captain Of the
] Davis Cup team. All this happened
on the eve oe the final interzone
/ Davis Cup round between America
and, Italy. in Paris.
| The suspension OF TiIden
created . furOre I'm the French
capital and Representations were
made finally by Ambassador
Myron 4. Herrielk that alnicahle
relations between the United
States and France would ssaf-
fer II Zig Bili' were not per-
nlitfed. to play.
Yielding to the request of the am
| ba ssador, COLON permitted Ti.den
to play and big Bill" electrified
the tennis world by defeating Rene
Lacoste. the French international
ch ampion, in d thrilling five-set
match on the opening day. That.
however. was Tilden's only victory.
lie and Frank Hunter were beaten
in the doubles and in the final
singles round he yielded to Cochet.