Evening star., 1941-08-24

From now on there will be only
one major bridge league in the
United States. Announcement was
made recently that the American
Contract Bridge League. the parent
organization of the game in all
States east of the Mississippi, has
effected a consolidation with the
! Pacific Bridge League. The latter
body. while retaining all of its pre-
negatives. including its name and
its identity, hereafter will be a part
of the American Contract Bridge
League which thus becomes the rec
ognized association of all organized
bridge players.
Plans for the combination were
worked out by William E. Mckinney
the secretary of the American Con-
tract Bridge League who recently
made a journey to California for
the purpose of accomplishing it
Representing the West Coast or
ganization in the conferences which
resulted in the union was Tom Stod-
dard of Los Angeles who has long
been accredited with being the
power in the Pacific Coast League
There were others in consultation
upon the plan, but it was worked
out substantially as Mr. Mckinney
and Mr.. Stoddard planned it.
Mr.. Stoddard conducts the larg-
CT IriI ~, in, tho TT,,itol
at Los Angeles. 1t has larger
membership than any of the bridge
clubs in New York or elsewhere in
the East and includes some of the
most skillful players in the country,
but few of them have ever par
ticipated in any of the Eastern
tournaments.
The Pacific Bridge League, which
embraces all of the units in the
States west of the Rocky Mountains,
has been a formidable body ever
since contract bridge was intro
duced into this country. 1t has held
its own tournaments and conducted
some large and important matches,
but its winners have never been
rated in the American Contract
Bridge Leagues list of master point
players. 1t has master point syS-
tenn and schedule of it's own A plan,
which is not an easy undertaking, is
now being worked out to include
Pacific Coast experts in the A. c.
B. L. listings, which thus will be
materially increased.
The problem of accrediting future
players in the Pacific Coast League
with master points will not be a
difficult one, as the same system will
be followed as now prevails at the
tournaments and in the units of
the East, but it is expected that there
will be some trouble in placing
westerners who have master points
In the Pacific League where they
belong in the master-point list OF
the American Contract Bridge
League. Mr.. Mckinney and Mr.
Stoddard, however, believe that they
have a method which will improve
both successful and advantageous.
Generally, the players in the Mid.
die West have not been AFFILIATED
with either the A. c. B. L. or the
Pacific League because of the neces.
sity of travelling long distances to
attend the national meets of either
body. Consequently, the names OF
experts in that section of the coun-
try are not found, except in rare in
stances, in the lists Of either organi-
zation. They will be invited, how
ever, to become members and to
form units which will be taken into
membership in the one Nationwide
body.
The Pacific League will hold its
tournaments as usual. but they will
be sectional tournaments and their
records will form o part Of A. G. 3
l.. The amalgamation Of the two