Evening star., 1938-06-20
GERMANS, BRITISH
SEEK LESS ACTION
Logical Arguments Offered
for Putting Event on
Biennial Basis.
BY LAWRENCE PERRY.

NEW YORK, June 20.-France anc
the United States will lead a vigorous
fight at the annual meeting of dele
gates of Davis Cup nations in Lon
don this month against two proposed
changes in the scheme of Davis Cur
play.
First. there is the campaign pro-
mulgated by England to have the IA
NOUS international trophy in compe-
tition every other year instead of an.
nually. The other proposed change i.
backed by Germany and Belgium
which suggest that the matches cover
two years. the first year devoted to
preliminary rounds and the second to
semi-finals and finals.
Reasons for the changes outlined
above are as logically based as are
the reasons for making no change.
1t is all matter of viewpoint.
Frances contention. with which the
American tennis body agrees. is that a
team being built up to win interna-
tional honors absolutely requires the
experience of annual play against the
leading players of other nations.
Building Team Slow Task.
It will be recalled in the case of
France that, by slow and sure degrees
throughout the seasons of 1924-5-6, a
combination was effected which in
1927 came through to a Davis Cup
title So 1t was with the United
States in the years when France
and then England held the trophy
Through season after season OF rigid
international tests team finally was
developed which last year brought the
cup back to these shores.
On the other hand, the contention
of Germany and England and other
countries similarly minded is that
Europe Is choked with lawn tennis
every summer Incessant rounds Of
Davis Cup play, it is held, seriously
interfere with national tournaments
and other Journeys which are i'm
portant to the countries holding them
Europe is so crowded with tennis
playing nations; there are at least Is
holding their own championships
every summer and there are dual
matches between neighboring coun-
tries. And, of course. there is Wimble-
don. With three or four or five Davis
Cup rounds to be sandwiched each
year into these schedules, the prob
lem of adjustment is so perplexing
that a years break in Davis Cup COM
petition would be gratifying to those
who have to do the adjusting.
Annual Challenge Optional.
So far as the u S. L. T. A. is con-
cerned. feeling is that. if a nation does
not wish to challenge for the cup
every year, it is under no compulsion
to do so. AS matter of fact. Of the
40-odd nations afiliated with the
Davis Cup group, not more than so
per cent enter annually So the
American idea is that. If England, or
whatever nation, finds it more ex-
pedient to enter teams biennially
than annually, let it do so without
breaking the tradition of year-by-year
play.
Nations sitting in at the London
meeting have one vote each. 1t is
unlikely that the U. S. L. T. A. will
send delegate from this country as
Chuck Garland was sent last winter
to the International Federation con-
vention. With from six to a dozen
officers or members of important COM
mittees who will be attending the
Wimbledon championships, June 20
to July 2, some one of this group will
be named by the American Davis Cup
Committee as its delegate.
Feeling among tennis authorities in
this country is that hardly q chance
exists that any change will be made
In Davis Cup playing policy.