Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-01-09
BY MILDRED (BABE) DIDRIKsoN

DA hALDhED tbabEb DtDklhSON.
TT almost broke my heart to turn
professionalism now that it is
done I have no regrets. There has
L been great deal of discussion and
debate about my action. I have
never bothered before to attempt any
explanation.
do not feel I owe any one any
apologies. The only reason 1 hesitated
to leave the amateur ranks was because
it meant I would lose the opportunity
to compete in many athletic events.
The Amatuer Athletic Union will not
permit me to join in its games.
So when I received offers from time
to time to turn professional and CAPT.
talize my athletic reputation 1 never
gave them consideration. I love athletic
competition. and take little interest in
anything else. / get great deal OF
satisfaction out of winning and eStab-
fishing new world records. A profess
sional athlete-a girl. that is--has few
opportunities for actual competition. So
the many offers l received never
tempted me.
When the A. A. U. suspended me last
month l felt sure l would be REIN
stated. and. although I received many
offers the. meant great deal of money
to me, l still gave them no thought.
But when the A A. u held an investi-
CATION and upheld the charges, was
surprised and terribly hurt.
THIS brought new flood of pro-
l. fessional offers, and for the first
time in my life / began to think about
them. Still I did not open any nego-
tiations. I talked with friends In the
A. A. U. and asked them to help me.
They were personally sympathetic, but
officially aloof. Two weeks had passed
and was still disqualified as an ANA
teur
I reconciled myself gradually to the
situation. The offers I had received
included opportunities to play basket
ball, to give exhibition golf matches. to
play tennis and take part in swimming
events. 1 decided the life of a pro-
fessional athlete would not be so empty
after all. I don't want to give the i'm
preston I was not interested in max
ing money. My family is a large one
and we are not wealthy If 1 could
make a lot of money and have fun
doing it. then I would not be making
mistake.
I had not yet turned professional.
The A. A. U. had disqualified me. 1
decided to make the best of the deci-
sion. So I resigned my job with an
insurance company in Dallas, Tex.
went to my parents home in Beau
mont. and announced that I would
withdraw from the Amateur Athletic
union and would make no further eff
Tort to be reinstated as an amateur.
THE A. A. u Committee then was
l. meeting in New Orleans (although
T 6id mt knnu- oh =
SIX hours after I had announced my
withdrawal they exonerated me of the
original charges of professionalism,
which had led to my SUSPENSION. In
other words, the A. A. U. admitted it
mad been in the wrong to disqualify me-
l might still have reconsidered, ais
though am not sure about this, if the
national headquarters of the A. A. U.
In New York had not Immediately an
nouneed that, regardless of their mis-
take IN suspending me, would be sus-
pended for one year for having an
nounced I would accept their decision
ana Withdraw from amateur competi-
ton. They apparently did not want. me.
l was first suspended without rea-
son, the suspension confirmed. then L
was reinstated and finally suspended
again for year for deciding not to
argue too much with such unreason-
able action. I know a woman is sup
posed to have right to change her
mind, but / had hard time irving to
keep up with the A. A. US changes in
attitude
But now that the step has been taken
! have no hard feelings toward the
A. A. U. nor any of its officials We
always have been friends, and 1 would
be glad to keep things that way.
THE original suspension followed an
l. advertisement by an automobile
company which carried my photograph