Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14
SAYS j. S. SHOULD
FOOT THEIR BILLS
DEGREES Fact That England
and France Guido YankS
Promoting Game.
BY WILLIAM T. TILDEN, I'd.


4 tieth anniversary of the
United States tennis cham
pionship. Could there be more
suspicious time to attempt to
make our championship equal the
great annual event at Wimbledon,
England?
Every year, in London, over 80 ma
tons Of the world are represented on
the courts of the Old English Club, in
the battle for the crown which carries
with 1t the championship of England
and the unoficial recognition of the
premier Importance of It's title almost
amounting to the championship of the
world.
Here in the United States we are
fortunate in recent years If we have
two or three foreign countries repre-
scented. Why have we failed to de-
velop our international tennis relations
to the point that we have at least a
large foreign entry? Rather, let me
saw, why have we allowed our foreign
relations to lapse during the last few
years so that today the American
championship is largely battle be-
tween Americans, whereas the English
and French championships are world
wide in their scope?
u. s. Doesn't ReciprOcate.
The loss of the Davis Cup to France
in 1927 naturally cost us our leading
| foreign stars, who up until then were
here to play the Davis Cup Ties. How
ever, there has been no serious effort
to gain foreign entries. The matter OF
obtaining foreign teams is purely one
| of dollars and cents. The foreign as
ISOLATION, except England and France,
are hardly in a position financially. TO
send teams to the United States unless
some method OF guarantee 70 meet
| their expenses Is assured.
France, as champion nation, does not
| need to send teams anywhere. Au
France and England ask Is reciprocity
a representative American team IN their
| own championships. For the last three
wears the American association has not
| sent an official team to France for It's
championship. In 1928 Hunter played
| as an Individual; in 1929, Hunter ana
did likewise, and in 1880 Coen ana l
were on the same basis and were the
guests of the French association at It's
expense. Even Helen Wills this year
was at the French championship AZ
| the expense of the French. Yet our
association refused to give France a
guarantee to send team to our cnam-
| pionship.
The Business Slant.
Let us consider for a moment the
| business angle of this purely amateur
| sport, American tennis Is wealthy. the
| u. s. L. T. A. has a reserve OF ABOUT
100000. How could some OF 1t be pet
| ter spent than in bringing to our shores
the greatest players OF EuropeP l Ieel
| it is for more to our game to get Nor
purge. Cilly Aussen, Prem, Cochet, or
| who have you, to the United States
| than it Is to run q tennis magazine dor
the official views of the association at
an annual loss of $4,000, as was done
, during last year.
However, there is no reason to regard
! the importation of any foreign team
as q dead loss and in many cases tnelr
advent could be turned to profit. ANY
representative foreign team can play q
series of team matches that Will not
only cover their expenses, but yield
nice profit to both associations. know.
because when Prank Hunter and !
PLAYED in Europe in 1927 q series or six
team matches the United States profit
over and above all expenses was over
$4,000.
Let us debunk this amateur sport to
the point where We admit that the of1i-
Gals have a business problem to meet
in the administration of the aSSocta-
tions affairs. Fully $4,000 annually
of the associations expenses OF actually
running it's affairs must be paid out
of gate receipts, since its other revenue
still leaves that deficit to be met.
Must Spend Money.
Organization that involves teams
from foreign nations requires time. Our
trouble in the last few years has been
lack Of early preparation.
I suggest that 1t would be o wise
move to appoint at this time small
committee to spur immediate negotia-
lions with foreign nations to obtain
teams for our jubilee year. Give the
committee full power to make guaran-
tees and to make arrangements TO meet
those guarantees out OF the gate OF
team matches.
Even If we have four or five foreign
teams playing at the same time IN our
country, We can pick different teams
to play them from such a group OF
PLAYERS as Hunter, williams, Lott, Hen
messy, Allison, Van Ryn. Coen, Doeg,
Sidney Wood, Vines, Suffer. Shields,
Barry Wood, Mercur, Hall, Grant, my
| self and many others. We can play
matches at a profit in New York, Bos-
ton, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit,
Cleveland, washington and many other
cities.
The time has come to rouse the U. s.
L. T. A. to the necessity Of making our
American championship the equal OF
the French and English. 1t can only
be done by the willingness to spend
money to bring our foreign friends. We
are no longer the champion nation
which brings players to itself by virtue
of its position. Rather are we in the
position of having to ask favors from
Europe, because today Europe Is far
higher in tennis than we are.
Let us make 1891 a real jubilee year
| Copyright. $780, by North American News
| paper Alliance.)