Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-08


Instead of saying to M. Ferret, as the
United States Lawn Tennis Association
probably would have done, once pro-
fessional, always professional, eSpe-
cially where Pyle is involved" the
French Lawn Tennis Association said,
1--WE shall see what can be done" or
words to that effect.
The French association, taking into
consideration the fact that Ferret seemed
thoroughly repentant ruled that If he
made restitution of the pieces of silver
he had received from Pyle he might be
restored to full amateur standing. Only
it was specified that the shame money
was to be turned into the funds Of the
French Lawn Tennis Association. M.
Feret agreed, and only the other day
was entered in the amateur lists against
Rene LacoSte.
1t did not occur 10 the French
| Lawn Tennis Association to make
restitution to Mr.. Pyle, who, after all,
paid out the wage to M. Ferret.
Simon-pure amateurs always regard
| ed this as tainted money. ConSe-
ouently there is a grave ethical ques-
ton as to whether or not the French
| Lawn Tennis Association should ac-
cept that kind of dough, as the boys
say. But 1t may be that the notion
of the association is that a franc IS
|
| from. Also there is the question OF
equity.
I am quite sure that if the French
Lawn Tennis Association had turned
back the wage of comparative shame TO
Mr. Pyle that gentleman would have
made every effort to turn it back to the
customers who paid that money under
the delusion that M. Ferret was a profess
sional at heart and not an amateur
irNNo tat~1I
Pyle is that way.
This procedure would have cleared
everything and have made the resti-
tuition of M. Ferret to full amateur
standing logical, or at least more
logical than it is under the arrange
ment worked out by the association.
The money which is retained by the
French Lawn Tennis Association
rightfully belongs to the customers
who paid 1t more or less under false
representation. In way the French
Lawn Tennis Association seems to be
compromising a mild larceny by trick
and device.
Mr.. Pyle can be eXonerated in the
matter. He was deceived. When he
put M Ferret on a salary basis he had
every reason to believe that the French
tennis player was a bona flde profess
Sional No doubt MIR. Pyle is deeply
panied and chagrined to learn that one
of his professionals has turned amateur
Some Interesting Possibilities.
CONSIDER the possibilities of this
! ~ ruling. 1t would be logical in view
of this precedent which has been set
and which has not been protested by
J the lawn tennis associations of any Of
the other countries, to restore Mile
Suzanne Lenglen to full amateur stand
ing.
All that Mile. Lenglen would have
to do would be to go through the
same procedure which restored M.
Feret to amateur standing. She
J would have to turn over to the COT
fers of the French Lawn Tennis As
ISOLATION all of the moneys which
she collected from Mr.. Pyle and
other sources. AS recall it, Mile.
Lenglen gathered from literary per-
quisites, dressmaking. sources, in
dorsements of tennis racquets and
7 what not quite considerable sum
counted in dollars or francs.
Somebody told me THAI she ever
gathered several thousand of dollar
B from her plumbing rights. Perhaps Thu