The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-15
TALKING
IT OVER
By JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, Sept. 15.-It doesn't
IN seem possible that man who
has been a good sport for years
should overnight become a thor
oughly bad sport. 1 had this
thought in mind when I called on
Gar Wood in his suite in the Park
Chambers Monday.
Wood is the American speed boat cham
pion who admitted he lured Kaye Don, the
English speed boat pilot into automatic
disqualification in the International races
on the Detroit river last week.
Wood is tall slender. gray-haIred man
with sharp features. and large eyes that
seem 10 bespeak an inherent frankness
Ten days ago. Wood stood out as one
OF the sports headliners OF the world To-
day because Of the unsavory climax Of
the Detroit race he finds himself In a most
embarrassing position. A large percentage
OF the public has indicted him as a poor
sportsman. small minority OF people
VINO know the speedboat game and are
familiar with the peculiar tactics which
are accepted without question by speed
boat racers stand staunchly by his side.
Wood himself is still in a state Of
feyerish bewilderment Never a man to
seek publicity he is puzzled at his present
eonspicuity in the press. and naturally
deeply Rrieved at the unfavorable criticism
that has been directed at him.
I don't know what to say" he tells
you. Maybe was wrong. I don't know
i am an old man at this game. To
me 1t is both a sport and business.
Ike TO win. But 1t doesn't hurt me to be
beaten. I have been beaten before.
Tt meant lot to me in personal salts
faction to beat the British boat. but not
enough to jeopardize my reputation by
resorting to interruptions methods There
Is more to speed boat racing than mere
motor power. Craftsmanship counts for
great DEAL
I said after the race I purposely tried
TO lead Don over the starting line. and
repeat 1t now. I did this mainly because
/ wanted to get off in front and escape his
back wash-I had ridden in it throughout
the race the day before and I didn't care
about riding through 1t again.
That I beat the gun by a matter of
seconds to me is excusable. When you are
driving boat at great speed 1t is not
always easy to judge the starting time
accurately"
HERE Wood, dressed in funeral
Il 4 simplicity, paused to down
large beaker of ice water, served to
him by the omnipresent Steven
Jerome O'Hannagan who appears to
be always around when some sports
character in distress is explaining
his case.
1T has been charged" continued Wood,
''that my getting away to a false start
was all the part OF plot conceived before
the race. 1 hope you will believe me when
! say this is utterly untrue To begin
with. how was I to know that Dom even
If l were to attempt to lure him across
the line and into disqualification, would
follow me? think everybody will agree
that / did not have a rope tied to his
boat and that ! had no actual power over
his decision to start early or late
At this point your correspondent. in a
benevolent mood. suggested that the cir
cumstances would have been less incrimi-
mating If it had not been that the third
boat in the race-also a wood boat-wss
left in q position to win the race without
any competition.
Wood uncrosed his angular legs. and he
adjusted a severe blue tie which split a
hard white collar. A challenging CLEAN
appeared in his eyes and the tiny muscles
around the corners of his mouth became
tense.
That's an unfair thing for anyone to
think" he said. Il repeat it is unfair
because it Just isn't true. MY brother was
driving that boat and it is a pretty fair
boat had a chance to win. Just as any
pretty fair boat has in a competition so
uncertain as speed boat race. There is
always the danger of any boat upsetting
or the motors going bad. In view of these
possibilities it is always well to have
reserve boat"
Your correspondent asked If 1t we're en-
tirelv sporting to pit two obats against
one in a race where the element of chance
and the fragilitv of construction played
"A lot OF people are asking that now"
answered Wood But it was never asked
before. and this has been a general prac-
tice in all countries where speed boat
races are held. Possibly 1t is unfair.
will admit that it sounds grossly unfair
But the men who drew up the rules under
which these races are held did not seem
to think So"
Wood began to relax a little bit for the
flrst time. 1t seemed to me hiatt he was
lust beginning to shake off the effects of
the trerifc criticism to which he had been
subjected A wan smile huttered across
his gaunt face.
Gee. 1 love speed boat racing It's been
nv life. 1t has given me the greatest
thrills have ever known. 1 wouldn't
purposelv do anything to lower Its pres
tipe or esteem"