The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-09-03
TALKING
IT OVER
BY DANIEL NJ. DANIEL


Joe Williams. on vacation. this column Is
being contributed by Daniel N. Daniel Of
the New York-WorId Telegram.
NEW YORK, Sept. 3.-Another
IN national championship tennis
tournament at Forest Hills The
20-year- Slim" Vines Of Cali
fornia, defending the title against
the brilliant Henri Cochet and a
field which is impressive with native
strength and foreign threat. Some
how these annual carnivals on the
courts bring back memories most
vivid of Red Mclaughlin, who came
from beyond the Rockies to teach
the world something new-some-
thing that was fiery and stirring
about this game they call tennis.
The comet. We called McLoughlin; No
doubt We al oyerrsted the red head As
/ look back at his form appreciate tnal
a versatile. crafty, hard hitter llke Bill
Tilden perhaps would have rlddleo Maury
game. particularly BY shooting TOT Fed
bsckhand which was the weak spot IN
his shining armor ,-
But Mclaughlin did more for tennis
than even the amazing Tlden. whom !
rate the greatest Of all time Maury came
into the game when the nationals we're
held At Newport The grand danes ana
the CAV hsppers Of the time sat around
the Casino courts or in the onkY lttle
stand and chatted about Harry Lehr' S
latest escapade or the wild champagne
party OF the night before and drove some
OF the more earnest tennis players nutty.
Maury changed tennis. He lifted ~
from its calm and easy demeanor, smashed
it out Of IT'S stodginess, with crash and
a vollev. which tore from tennis the
ancient epithet Of "a sissys game
Mclaughlin populsrized tennis. He made
the American public conscious Of the game
and its thrill and power Mclaughlin built
the Forest Hills stadiuml
n
A MOTHER young Californian
n fighting the field in the ma
tional singles I am reminded of Nc
Loughlin's first big bid for the title
at Newport in 1911. Bill Larned
defeated Red in three sets, not one
of which went to deuce. But, de-
spite the seeming ease with which
Larned took his seventh champion
ship-his fifth straight-Bill saw
the handwriting on the wall.
The Bafev's Beach and Bellevue avenue
crowd at NeWport-the smart set they
we're called in the society columns-titterec
audiblv a. McLoughHns pretensions
Maurys red face grew redder still. and he
made up his mind that II he ever got "a
The pinnacle and was in a position IL
dictate he would drag the tournament out
Of Newport. He did exactly that
Larned-calm, always collected-had be.
come 50 habttually the winner Of the
title that American tennis regarded him
as fixture comparable to Bill Bryan in
the Democratic politics Of the day
Lerned was the last of the champion,
Of the old school. His tennis was moulded
FA hnfI Itch linz W.
plenty Of long court driving and subtle
messing for the openings
Mclaughlin substituted power for
subtlety, fire for fnesse, and forced Larneo
out Of the titular picture. Red won in 1917
and 1913.
IN that field at Forest Hills today
Il there are big men and there are
little men. But, big or small, ma
tive or foreign, none will exec
little Billy Johnston, champion in
1915 and 1916, in gameness. Right
now that grit and sand stand Billy
in good stead as he completes his
fight back to health
I think that Of the outstanding figures
have seen in the nationals since the days
Of Mclaughlin, Johnston most of all cap
tured the, love of the crowd.
mate skill, You applauded Dick Will
liams for his meticulous hair-splitting
game You liked Lindley Murray for his
meteoric punch. You clapped han.,s for
Cochets effervescence and for La Coste S
steady, errorforcing pace.
But you felt that in little Johnston. i25
pounds OF nerves, you had a friend fight
ing out there in the tennis arena. Little
Bill had no exaggerated idea OF his i'm
portance. His hat size never swelled
Most Of our DEMONSTRATING young men of
TO-DAY take themselves too seriously Little
Bill was a true sportsman.