The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-01
Today's Sport
 Parade
Ry HENRY MeLEMoRE

Los Angeles, Feb. 1r-tUP)-Res mind me, will you, the next time you sec me, to write q letter to Dwight Davis and ask him why he doesn't do his bit toward bettering the worlds economic situation by lifnit- ing the Davis Cup competition to four or i've countries.
 Of course, MT. Davis doesn't know me, and would pay even less atten. ton to my Suggestion If he did, but it hurts me to read, year after year, that such countries aS Dem mark, India, Monaco, Ireland and tho Netherlands, not to mention Mexico, Sweden and New Zealand, have again entered the Davis Cup lists.
 As donor of tho big tennis trophy, MT. Davis should make it ifapossi- ble for these and similarly tennis. equipped nations to spend their time and money so foolishly. fn all the time that the cup has been Up for competition only four eountfies-- England, France, Australia, and the United states-have won it, and from tho looks Of things now they are the only countries that arc ever going to win it. Germany, Italy and Japan once had c chance, but not any more, 1t being impossible for c man to play very good tennis while wearing 6 military uniform.
 Expensive
 As for the other countries they haven't c Chinaman's chance (and that goes double for China which also x entered) of winning. And it costs plenty Of money to send just one tennis player around to tourna- ments, much less an entire team. I never made Q real study Of it, but my guess Is that an amateur tennis player Is just about the most ex- pensiye thing to maintain there b. He just won't travel in the style to which he is accustomed.
 It doesn't take an amateur ten. his player more than one trip away from home to learn the difference between upper berths and lowers, and not more than two to start talk ing about compartments. By the time he has made c Davis Cup team hs Is strictly c drawing room man, and turns up his nose ct fixed price dinners to give the la carte c play. And he soon learns to do more with an expense account than Kreisler ever did with 6 violin.
 With the money the countries T saa asa tia,aad Aa HiiAR ha uA at1asat tptitafy to get c leg on the Davis Cup they could have put new Don't walk on the grass" signs in all their parks devoted to the public, gone 6 long ways toward extermination that widespread pest, the master of cere- monies, and endowed many Q strug- giing foundation with suitable foundation garments.
 U. s. Slipping?
 Judging from the looks of our own Davis Cup team ct present 1t might not be SO very long before this coun- try joins the cup also-rans. We own the silver bric-a-brac today, but with Don Budge gone, and only the Riggs, sabins and the Cookes and the Makes to rely on, how much would you like to bet that Australia doesn't lift 1t in the challenge round next summer? The loss of Budge was of no more important to our team than the loss of his tongue would be to an ant-eater. If the cup gets to Australia 1t will be no easy task to get 1t back. The dis tance and difference in climate and courts will not be the only handi- caps to our challengers. I have 1t on good authority that Australia has some pretty fancy foot-fault judges of its own, and that they haven't entirely forgotten what hap pened in Philadelphia that hot day last summer. .