The Washington times., 1936-04-16
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Here Gets
" Airing
Bv KIRK MILLER
Times Sports Editor

NNAVA WV @ASCS SAASS = &oSS'
detect some tangible evidence
of an actual ice hockey arena
in Washington, for hockey il
indeed one of those stirring in.
door games combining the
speed Of lacrosse and the bru.
tally of a bullfight, I moseyed
over to the Securities and Elk
change Commission to do a lit
tie eavesdropping at the hear
ing on the proposed corpora.
ton which would give the Ma
tional~ Capital its first rink.
Icame away from the Commute
debate between counsel for the
Government and the local group
which wishes to erect sports cen
ter, convinced that if we do get
hockey here both of those attor-
neys should be on skates and have
crooked clubs in their hands for
the opening game.
Reminded Of WilentZ
The gentleman speaking for the
Government appeared intent on
tearing limb from limb the propo-
sition to issue copious quantities
of stock to float the sports center.
He was a Wilentz type of barrister,
sleek of hair and natty OF dress.
He paced the floor as he examined
the witness and he twitted and ca
joled in ordc- to gain admissions.
sometimes pausing to look out OF
the window with one foot on a rad1-
ator, face turned quite away from
the object Of his quiz.
His queries came rapidly, and
like darts, as did the replies.
There was a matching Of wits. One
seemed to know all the questions
the other, all the answers. Be
tween them it was a sort OF a tie,
or Mexican stand-off, as we say IN
our lodge.
And when the barrister for
Uncle Sam became q little zoo
pertinent in the items he was try
ing to extract from the deponent'
why, the counsel for the sports
conscious group would leap to ais
feat to divert, or check, what, IN
hockey parlance, might nave
turned out to be a goal in favor OF
the Government.
Seeking Hard Facts
The immediate argument in the
ouening session, which is to have
a relapse today, seemed to concern
real estate values, potential attend
ances at the proposed sports
events which also include Wrest'
ling and boxing, the better to DE,
termine whether the public would
be getting a run for its money
should it subscribe to the issues.
At one point thought I might
have to leave the room. They were
haegling back and forth as to
what constituted a sports expert
and I felt my face getting quite
red. But it turned out that they
were quarreling about experts only
on sports promotions. When the
names of George P. Marshall and
Joe Turner were banded back and
forth, I felt relieved, being no
where near in the class with either
Presently the subject changed.
I learned that it is proposed to
hold AZ hockey games here every
year and that it is believed an
average of 1000 will attend each
Of these games. I thought Clark
Griffith should have been asked
about the average attendance al
his IT league ball games.
Eat It up in New York
Figures were quoted that $4,000
lowered over hockey games at one
setting in Madison Square Garden
In the Stanley playoffs, which are
the world series Of the great ice
sport.
These games, it was stated
from the witness stand, will be
between varying types Of teams
professional, collegiate and schc
lastic.. was wondering why
none of the brilliant minds
didn't inquire where all Of these
players are coming from, because
to the best of my recollection
have yet to see a hockey player
in Washington, although possibly
I don't get everywhere.
The answer to that, of course
Is that you can send to Canada
and get all of the professional
players you want, but I hardly
believe collegiate hockey, like col
legiate football, is quite ad
vanced to the high business
plane whereby you can send Out
and bring in hockey players tt
represent dear old George Wash
ington, Georgetown or Columbus
University, either. In time
schoolboy hockeyists could be de
veloped commercially and col
legeS too, but it would require 6
season or two or maybe thre'
and they would lose their amateur
standing for other sports such a
track, baseball. golf and tennis.
It's a big, six-figured order the!
are asking, those hockey propo
nents, and hope they get away
with it, as hockey would put more
life in the winter sport curricu
lun here than there is in a bar
rel full of firecrackerS and Chimes
firecrackers at that!