Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-27

! Mr.. T1lden'S attitude toward tennis
has not been that Of one who is playing
the game for mere recreation. With
out having the exact statistics, would
venture to say that Tilden devotes more
time and energy to the game of tennis
than Gene Tunney, professional pugilist
or Babe Ruth, professional bali player
have devoted to keeping themselves fl
for the games that are their profeS-
sions.
Mr.. Tilden always has insisted that
he has two professions writing and
acting. But in who's Who" it is re-
| corded that Mr.. Tilden did not take ur
writing for pay until he had become
mems national singles champion
Neither did he don the buskins until he
was established as the king of the ten
mis- courts. OF course. this might have
been merely coincidental Mr.. Tlden
might have planned to go in for the
other two arts even if he had not
reached the top notch in tennis. Also
he might have succeeded better in both
of these lines of endeavor if he had not
devoted so much time and energy to
tennis. He might have.
must confess that I never have
seen Mr.. Tilden act and that / hardly
have read any of the athletic literature
that has come from his fluent and busy
typewriter. Perhaps I have missed
something, but have an aversion to the
stage, and when read ! do not reach
for athletic literature. I did read the
photographers of John McGraw, Babe
Ruth and Jack johnson, and decided
that preferred non-athletic literature
as steady diet.
But I nave seen Mr.. Tilden play ten
mis-, and I am willing to say that he
can crowd more drama In the courts
than would be possible for him to put
on the stage, even If he were another
John Barrymore. In fact, on the ten
mis- courts it struck me that Mr.. Tilden
was about one of the greatest showmen
ever have seen in sports
The only criticism / would find of
Mr.. T1den'S performance on the courts
Is that sometimes the spectators get the
notion that he is acting a part. I be-
heve that a dramatic critic would char
acterize this as bad acting or over
acting, or something of the sort. I be-
lieve that the actor never should let
those on the other side of the footlights
or out Of range of the net feel that be
Is acting. Tilden seems to do this at
times or it might that in my igno-
rance Of matters theatrical get this
impression.
Moreover, feel that no matter how
writing game he could not write the
tennis epics that he has played on some
OF the tennis courts here and abroad.
But, again, perhaps underestimate the
other talents of this many-sided young
man-young in years but comparatively
aging in regard to tennis. When he
Is forced to give up active tennis COM
petition he might shine as brilliantly
in the other lines as he has in tennis
He might.
Tilden and the SoIons.
ITILDENS skirmishes with the United
States Lawn Tennis Association
contributed no little to the gayety of
| sports in general, but not to the peace
| of mind Of the serious gentlemen who
ruled the United States Lawn Tennis
Association. Mr.. Tilden's portable type
writer, on which he played with profit
in the height Of the tennis season, an
noyed the U. s. L. T. A. no little and
OF fact, 1t still does. Whenever a men,
Der of the U. S. L. T. A. hears type
writer he turns pale and instinctively
looks up to see if Tilden has once more
broken loose into illegal literature.
| The United States Lawn Tennis As
ISOLATION undertook to define amateur
ism to the nth degree. In congress as
| SemDleQ the defender OF amateur tennis
| framed what was called the player
writer rule. The edict was to the ef-
feet that while amateur tennis players
OF high ranking might write essays on
tennis they were not to report tennis
tournaments in which they were en-
gagged actively.
The essays, the conclusion was, would
rebound to the greater glory of tennis
The mere journalistic work in connec-
ton with tennis would mean that the
player writers were capitalizing theii
court prestige. and therefore were profit
ing, directly or indirectly, through then
participation in amateur tennis. This
was very reprehensible. The rule was
passed, and Tilden signed an agreement
to abide by it.
But during the Davis Cup matches oil
1928 Tilden drew his portable type
writer from its sheath and broke into q
torrent of illegal literature. More ir
anger than in sorrow, the U. S. L. T. A
suspended him by cable in the middle
Of the Davis Cup match 1t took the
Intervention of the Ambassador oil
France to have him reinstated for the
matches.
Still Leads the List.
WITH all his faults and despite all oil
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