The Washington times., 1938-02-02

@ SSa f$SS IA LeTeSG III opOl 10
by the dwellers
in the White
HouSe. Mrs.
l Roosevelt's en-
= try marked the
2 i first competi'
IN ton in sports
M ~ went by the
wife of a PreSi-
RucL o.NeilI dent Of tn G
United States.
The magic name of Roosevelt
belongs In the sports field, and
lovers of the equestrian arts ex-
pressed the hope that other First
Ladies of the land would continue
such public appearances.
Theodore Roosevelt was the tlrst
of the family to openly champion
the strenuous life. 1t was he who
headed the group who deDrutalized
football, introduced the forward
pass into the game, and thus pre-
served the great autumn spectacle
for the athletic calendar.
The first Roosevelt went beyond
mere direction Of sports. His ad-
ventures in boxing and jiu jitsu,
in which he became expert,
aroused international interest in
the Occidental and Oriental forms
of self-defense. Theodore Roose-
velt's skill as horseman needs no
review here.
Coolidge a Fan
Franklin Delano Roosevelt has
q fine background in competitive
sports, and today ranks with the
expert swimmers in this country.
William Howard Taft loved sports,
but during his tenure in the White
House, restricted his participation
to throwing out the first ball at
the opening game of the American
League season. President Taft was
the first Chief Executive to serve
in such capacity. It has become
the accepted order for the PreSi-
dent to officially start the big
leaguerS on their ways.
The taciturn Calvin Coolidge
had a deep love for baseball, and I
still can see him cheering the
Washington team on to victory
over the Giants in the World
Series of 1924.
It remained for President War
ren G. Harding to shatter all bar,
riers and become the first Chief
Executive to compete in a golf
tournament. When i, came down
to being a good fellow" President
Harding probably was tops.
An inveterate golfer, he shot in
the COS consistently. So it hap
pened that when he was invited
to present the cup to the winner
of the 1920 Washington Sports
Writer'S Golf Tournament. then
being organized under the leader
ship of Bryan Morse, Of the Wash
ington Herald Times, Walter r.
McCallum of the Evening Star, and
Henry L. West of the Washington
Post, Mr.. Harding invoked his
rights As a publisher and insisted
upon competing.
Made Big NeUs
"Present the cup?" exclaimed
the President. "It might prove
embarrassing. intend to win it
myself. See here, you fellows!
I'm qualified newspaper man.
I own the Marion Star, and it
would be embarrassing to me to
have to make a presentation
speech to myself"
So it happened that President
Harding converted a dinky little
tournament into international
news. Word was sent out from
the White House that three news
paper men, not too good and not
too bad, would round out the four.
some. Not better than 80, and
not worse than 100, were the
limits established for the re-
porters.
An international tone was intro
duced, for Sir Wilmott Lewis. Of
the London Times, was chosen to
play in the presidential foursome.
Bryan Morse and Bill Brigham,
Of the Boston Transcript, rounded
out the quartet.
President Harding drove first
and did all right. But the others
They were too scared to hit the
ball.
whats the matter with you
duffers?" demanded Mr.. Harding.
"Just too much President of the
United States" retorted Bryan
Morse, who ever had knack of
coming up with the right thought
at the right time.
Maybe you're right" laughed
the Chief Executive, I'll see you
on the green"
The scores made by the other
three mean little. Mr.. Harding
shot a 81, and with his handicap
grabbed first prize, a brasSie.
"JuSt too good" he chuckled
"I've been presented with golc
clubs, but this is tops, I won it."
The writer carried a letter o.
greetings to the Japanese public
from President Harding. 1t wa
when an American major league
team went to Nippon.
There I gathered evidence o.
the esteem in which our strenuous
Presidents were held. In the Tokyo
home of ViScount ShibusaWa, thC