Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-03-05

IOFf. A. p. Photo.
and would have to stop boxing" Then, he took
up the japanese art of jill jitsu.
Roosevelt speaks regretfully in the AUTO
biography Of being impeled, while Governor
Of New York, to stop professional boxing IN the
State, explaining however that he acted when
II was reluctantly obliged to come to the con-
clusion that the prize ring had become hope
lessly demoralized and debased." 1t was in
RoOSevelts incumbency as police commissioner
of New York City that he had aided In start
ing boxing clubs in effort to break up
corner gangs
When Roosevelt was occupying the Governors
mansion at Albany he went in for wrestling
ON an ambitious scale, working out for while
three and four times a week with the middle
weight champion of the country. Later q
husky oarsman was his antagonist, but RooSe-
welt and this opponent, lacking skill, manhan-
died each other to such extent in a few
days that the Governor decided to scratch this
line Of activity off Of his books.
He related another humorous incident in this
connection, telling how the State controller re-
fused to approve an expenditure for q wrestling
mat. That official said Roosevelt could have
billiard table if he desired but that wrestling
was not proper form Of sport for a Governor.
Roosevelt also played tennis a great deal
here, and his companions on the courts came
to be dubbed the Tennis Cabinet" This IN
his old buddy" Of Rough Rider days; Ambas-
sador Jusserand of France, Clifford Pinchot,
now Governor of Pennsylvania; James Gar
field, the Secretary of Interior; Robert Bacon,
and Others
One chronicler has said that there is no
picture on record of Roosevelt on the courts
as the then President felt the public generally
would consider the game too frivolous for q high
official.
It was this very spirit, presumably, that
20 11iavv I'D
Taft, an ardent golfer, that this game would
hurt him in the public mind, when newspapers
told Of Taft playing golf, after his nomination
for the Presidency.
Mr. Taft was the first President to golf; in
his footsteps, have followed Presidents Wilson
and Harding.
DRESIDENT TAFT generally played at the
Chevy Chase Club where his partners were
Vice President Sherman and the late Ormsby
McCammon, the club champion. The Taft
and Sherman cups, gifts of that distinguished
pair are annually In competition At Chevy
Chase in the invitation tournament.
President Taft also set another historic sports
precedent, when, on April IA, 1870 he threw
League game between Washington and Phila-
delphia this being the first time that Presi-
dent ever had oficiated in this capacity.
Washington won, 80. Walter johnson oppos-
ing Eddie Plank In the box, while Billy
Evans, now president Of the Cleveland club, UNI
pired Before the game Mr.. Taft asked to meet
Jim McAleer, then manager Of the Washing
ton club and Connie Mack, pilot of the Ath-
letics, and this was arranged by the Presidents
host Thomas c. Moves, president of the WASH
ington club The crowd that day. approximately
5000, also set a new record
In the intervening % years this "frst-ball-
first-game" has actually attained the status Of
a recognized presidential function, for now the
opening Of the American League season is
always fixed here, that this ceremony may
launch the schedule.
Franklin Roosevelt by the way, is no stranger
to this as he of6ciated at the fag-raising
which ushered in the 1917 season-the war
year-when he was Assistant Secretary Of the
Navy
The election of Woodrow Wilson put the
second golfer in the White House, the Presi-
dent being often on the course Of the Washing
ton Golf and Country Club, where, invariably.
his partner was his personal physician, Admiral
Cary T. Grayson, who this year heads the
Inaugural Committee. As acknowledgment OF
the pleasure he had found ON the Washington
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