The Washington times., 1937-04-03

present dictatorship in lawn
The opening paragraphs in a
communication from the tennis
committee of the Germantown
Cricket Club, Philadelphia, read
as follows:
Resentment against what Is
termed a dictatorship in lawn
tennis and employment of prac-
tees to PROFESSIONALISM the sport
will flare into open warfare Sat
urday today when the execu-
tive committee of the United
States Lawn Tennis Association
meets in New York city.
Samuel H. Colon, former
president of the national body,
and at present member of the
executive and Davis Cup COM
mittees of the U. S. L. T. A.,
with the backing of several other
members of the organization,
will make the fight to take some
of the major lawn tennis tOurna-
ments away from New York into
other cities"
COLON, a power in tennis circles
in this country, boldly makes the
charge that the activities of the
inside" group of the U. S. L. T. A
are placing in jeopardy the de
velopment of the sport in other
tennis centers such as Boston, Chi
cago, Washington, Philadelphia
and cities of the Pacific Coast. II
is charged by Colon and his
henchmen that the present Off
Gals of the U. S. L. T. A. this veal
have concentrated every important
major tennis tournament in New
York.
Violated Agreement
It Is charged by the German
town Cricket Club that the Davis
Cup committee of the U. S. l.. T. A
violated an agreement it hao
made with tennis officials Of cities
other than New York.
The present situation in ma
tional tennis affairs developed
when, after the mems singles
women's singles and the Wight
man Cup International matche!
were awarded the West Side Ten
mis- Club at Forest Hills, L. L. neal
New York, the committee alsC
awarded the North American Zont
finals of the Davis Cup between
this country and Australia to thu
same club.
When the zone finals wer'
awarded to Forest Hills, tenni
authorities in Philadelphia anc
some other cities went on the wa
path. COLON was designated a.
the leader of the opposition, and a.
its spokesman, on the day Of tn
important meeting, he has this II
say:
ut now becomes evident that
the New York group Is endeavOr.
ing to set up :, dictatorship, gov.
erned largely by the desire to at
tract the largest possible gate re.
ceipts, despite the fact that lawn
tennis Is clearly an amateur
sport.
FIGHT DOMINATION
eff tennis is to prosper, out
standing features must be given
to clubs in cities other than New
York. For this reason, / am In
tent Upon making a fight to
break up this domination, accom-
pliShed by preSidential-ap-
pointer committee, SO cOnStitu-
ted as to be controlled by New
York instead of being elective
and representative of voting
strength of the various districts
of the country.
Il am informed that the Aus.
tralian team does not wish to
play at Forest Hills and feels
that the Australians are being
sold down the river and their
chances jeOpardiZed. This is a
deplOrable condition and gives
the appearance of taking ad
vantage of the visiting AuStral
ian SpOrtsmen."
There appears little or no dout
but that all this pickering b
tween factions in the tennis worl
revolve around the site chosen fl
the United State s-Austral
matches. Holcombe Ward, pres
dent of the U. T. L. T. A., exhibi
a cable from the Australian Law
Tennis Association which reads:
we agree to play at Forest
l Hills or Philadelphia but pre-