The daily independent., 1937-07-22
\Ieads Hurls Good
Game For The Jay
Nine, But Loses
BY JACK CUDDY

hCI -SO-ISOllllO DlOhC DONll-
and gave us the Prince from
Wales.
After all the maneuvering and
phenageling, it developed that Joe
Louis would not make his first
world heavyweight title defense
against Max Schmeling. So
Tommy Farr of Wales has come
to this country to tilt with the
Brown Bomber.
Tommy arrived on our shores
the same day as the U. S. Ryder
Cup Team, which recently lifted
the golf mug out of Britain. At
lot of people said. The British are
sending Farr to the United States
as living revenge for Uncle Sans
Ryde cup victory" They said it
in such manner that you might
imagine this Farr as being more
of an insult to American intelli-
gence than were Phil Scott or
Jack Doyle.
Let me go on record now as
warning our populace that the
British have hurled a boomerang
if they think they have done us
wrong in sending over Farr. Be
cause he is a prince, judged by any
standard. I don't know if he can
fight a lick-if he can punch his
way out of a paper bag-if he
could stand up under a barrage
from Midget WolgaSt. Those
things are comparatively unim-
portant. when you are dealing
with a fascinating personality-a
new and colorful addition to the
American sports picture.
This 200-pound, six-footer from
the Welsh coal mines, with his
smashed and gaShed nose and his
cauliflowered ear, is slated to
fight Joe Louis for the title on
August 26. He may get knocked
out in the first round. VINO
knows? 1t doesn't matter.
The thing is this: New York
sports writer's have welcomed
Farr as one of the most whole
some characters to pop up in box
ing in many, many years. Skepti-
cal of everything British-in the
heavyweight division-these writ
ers have taken Farr to their hearts
and hearth stones. He won them
in a single afternoon-he won
them as easily as he expects to
take the Brown Bomber's title.
Farr won them with his words.
And this is amazing, because the
erstwhile lad of the Tonypandy
coal pits had no advantages OF
education. He was down In the
mines with a pick and shovel
when he was about II years old.
Wholesome is the word for
FAR. He is all man, every inch
of his 6 ft. 1la in. He is tough
looking and tough talking. He
laughs down any possibility OF
his starring in pictures by sneer-
ing, I'm no matinee idol. I'm
afraid of no man save God-eX-
cept when 1 see my reflection in
a mirror"
He talks a terrific fight. He
vows he'll take the title from
Louis. But-when he goes in for
this heroic conversation-theres
a meeting Of the mind between
orator and listener tnaI assures
Farr is not putting on an act-rot
whistling past the grave yard.
Farr regards himself as the
toughest man in the world. he
admits it. without braggadoclo.
And he'll tell you why he ls-Why
he became a tough old mugg
fighting in the carnival booths,
starting as a boy of IA. and Tight
ing upwards-always the unoer-
dog-until he became world heaVy-
weight challenger.
And he has a grand sense OF
.h,1mor-to balance his grim Wis
age-that he is completely cap
tivating. He admits he plays the
niano and sings tenor And he
tells of the night he drove through
a Paris park with Sol Strauss, at
torney for New York's 10th Cen
+tury Club. Tommy, who knows
his operas, was singing an ara
from Paghacci. And when ne
finished, Strauss Is very
hard of hearing-said, "Farr, that
was pretty. 1 always liked thaC
Pennies From Heaven"
Farr tells terrible tales from
Wales. About how the people VINO
work in the coal mines are still
barbarous and Ills a pity" How
he best fist fighters in Welsh VII
lagos. goes over the mountain with
his hackers and challenges any
one in the next village. And now
they fight-under rough ana
tunble rules, with nothing bar
red And when the legs of both
men give out, their friends dig
holes in the ground and stick
their legs into them-with the
men two feet apart-and let them
fight until one or the other Is
unconscious"