The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-09
Amateur Boys
Are Hitting
Low He Says
Promoter Says u. S. L. T. A.
Threatens Member Clubs
Sponsoring Shows.
BY j. A. BURCHARD
Times Special Writer

optNtAi WNthtH
NEW YORK, Jan. All of the
battles Of the century" aren't set
tied within the squared circle. A
tremendously intriguing bout, with
= out benefit of six-ounce gloves, is
being waged between the United
States Lawn Tennis Association and
Bill O'Brien. 1t is generally con-
coded that OBrien, who resembles
an overstuffed kewpie, is winning
on all fronts.
O'Brien supervises the profess
sional tennis tours that annually
open in New York and proceed by
profitable stages to the Pacific
Coast. The 1886 edition celebrates
its grand inaugural at Madison
Square Garden Saturday night The
new and featured performers, who
last year brandished their racquets
for the glory of the ruling anna
teur body, are Mrs. Ethel Burkhardt
Arnold, Jane Sharp and Berkeley
Bell
Good Training School
The u. S. l.. T. A. regards an
O'Brien tour as a blow at the very
foundations of the grand old anna
teur pastime. The reason is simple.
OF necessity O'Brien must recruit
his hired hands from the amateur
ranks. So he utilities the U. S. L. T.
A. as training school. When the
amateurs become sufficiently prom
inent to qualify as gilt-edged box
Office attractions he waves contracts
in front of their noses. The pride
Of the association, to say nothing
of its bank account, is certain to
suffer whenever O'Brien takes the
rubber band off his check book
Naturally, the amateur tennis
moguls would like to remove the
OBrien menace. But they have
been singularly unsuccessful and
are likely to remain that way in
the future.
They're hitting below the belt
now" says O'Brien, But it won't
help them"
Letter Is Cited
OBrien referred to a form letter
dispatched by the U. S. L. T. A.
to all member clubs last month.
Eliminating the preliminaries, the
letter wound up as follows:
Resolved, that the u. S. L. T. A.
is opposed to recognizing or dealing
with inIityiI,toI ixol L.,
whose promotion of tennis matches
or tournaments is for the purpose
OF making money for themselves,
or with any organization formed to
exploit the game for the pecuniary
benefit of any one connected with
the management of such associa-
tioi."
Those amateur fellows didn't
mention my name in that letter."
said OBrien, but you don't have
to be mind reader to know who
they mean. They thought they'd
ruin my tour, for in many of the
cities we have to play at clubs that
are members of the u. S. l.. T. A.
Keeps Clubs Happy
We'll, I know by this time that
the U. S. L. T. A. hasn't the control
it imagines. We're going to play in
80 cities, and approximately Is of
our shows will be held in member
ship clubs or districts. And why
not? We give them 40 per cent of
the gate. When they hold an ANA
teur tournament they pay the U. S.
L. T. A. $25 for a sanction and get
, nothing for their money. Small
wonder they ignored that letter"
. A striking example of club senti-
ment was afforded at Chattanooga
last spring. OBrien's troupe had
just arrived when a club official
showed him a telegram from the
u. S. l.. T. A. 1t stated that
O'Brien's players were not to appear
or the club would face suspension.
+. What are you going to do?"
asked Bill.
We're lucky to break even on an
amateur tourney" responded the
official. "I already have a $3.50 adj
vance sale for your show. What do
you think I'm going to do?"
1t is matter of record that the
Chattanooga show was a huge sue
cess. And Chattanooga is still a
member of the U. S. l.. T. A.