The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-14
Tennis Tycoons Tighten
 Up On Amateurs" Again

other they manage to get theirs.
 We aren't sure whether we have g quarrel with this or not. Many sins are committed in the name of amateurism and not all by the amateurs. To take realistic atti- tude, why shouldn't the man or woman who is the principal draw in a tournament get something besides a tin cup and a patronizing smile from the chairman of the en- tertainment committee? You can argue this one all night long, just as college football realists have been arguing the same point for years. Our contention, briefly, is that no sport can be amateur in spirit where gate admissions are charged.
 Just the same we can appreciate the mood of the tennis chiefs. Their problem is two-fold. They've had some tough cookies to deal with, conspicuous among whom was MT. William Tatum Tilden the twice. MT. Tilden has done several works of fiction. It is suspected he devel- oped this gift in creasing romantic expense accounts for the numerous tournaments in which he partici- pated.
 The urge to milk tennis finan- cially has not been restricted to the few. Several summers ago Mir. Rob- ert Riggs, with no remarkable back ground at the time, appeared in the east with his own manager. If you wanted Mr. Riggs in a tournament you first had to consult his mana ger. MT. Riggs had learned about amateur tennis from experts. He was no dope. This was one of the problems the tennis chiefs faced, or rather should have faced. The truth is they did nothing practical or ef- fective about it. Now they at least are trying.
 Another problem they faced (and we admit this is largely surmise but it seems obvious enough) was that they had co-conspirators in their own house. Most, if not all, amateur tournaments are sanction ed by the U. S. L. T. A., the regency of the racquet.
 Sponsor At Fault
 Now doesn't it stand to reason that no amateur could get away with anything in sanctioned tour nament without the connivance of the sponsors? In the end, 1t came down to this: that when dough was spread around, expense accounts padded and extra favors granted, the sponsors, in most cases, affiliateS of the U. s. L. T. A. itself, were the chief culprits, accessories before the fact.
 Whether the new policing regu- lations will lessen the influence manufacturers have on headliners most of whom are on payrolls and obligated to use specified types of equipment. This situation, we are told, was getting dangerous. It is supposed to have reached point where the manufacturers would not permit its salaried headliners to ap- pear unless the said manufacturers equipment was given general pref erence. If this is true. 1t represents a threat much more inimical to the sports security than padded ex- pense accounts or unlimited ap- pearance in tournaments.
 The tennis chiefs may not be wholly bright at times but no one can question their earnestneEs. They have Q more complex problem than the golf chiefs so the frequent comparisons are not altogether fair
 In the end they may achieve the perfect set iip, too. They are far seeing anyway. They repeatedly opposed open tennis and Vt are beginning tO think they were right. What c Joke an open tolir- nantnt would be this yoAri And II professional tennis ian't dying whats the coroner doing out there at the nets