Evening star., 1945-01-28
By Frank B. Lord

By Frank B. Lord
The action OF War Mobilizer
Byrnes In placing conventions under
the ban for the duration is causing
bridge players some apprehension.
The term convention" has dual
meaning for those who play con-
tract. In one instance, a conven-
ton is a method employed by
player to indicate legitimately to his
partner the character of the hand
he holds. With this sort of conven-
ton Mr.. Byrnes is not concerned.
He may use it himself-and doubt
less does, If he is a good bridge
player.
The other form of convention de-
signates the gathering of a con-
siderable number of people with
kindred interests for the discussion
and consideration of matters of
mutual interest. Such a convention
involves railroad or motor trans
portation and hotel accommoda-
tions, which the Government desires
to minimize as much as possible In
the war emergency.
While the inhibition against the
holding of conventions Is not likely
to affect regional bridge tourna-
ments where the players, for the
most part, are local, it may seriously
interfere with the large bridge tour
neys, such as the summer and win
ter tournaments of the American
Contract Bridge League, the VAN
derbilt Club and other meets where
players come from all parts of the
country, sometimes to the number
of several hundred. The Northern
Virginia tournament, originating in
Alexandria and transferred to
Washington for the duration, and
recently held at the Wardman Park
Hotel, although the largest in its
history, attracted a little less than
so persons from outside this city.
For a convention exceeding that
number, it will be necessary to OBJ
tain permission from the Convention
Committee of which the director of
the ODT is chairman.
1t might be possible to get this
for the bigger meets on the ground
that they contribute in way to the
war effort. The American Contract
Bridge League sells War Bonds at
it's tournaments. 1t sold many
thousands of dollars worth at the
last summer tournament in At
lantic City. 1t also provides from
its own revenues a scholarship fund
for the education of the orphans of
veterans. The difficulty might be
resolved if the answer to the ques-
ton, when Is a convention not a
convention?" were to be, When 1t
is tournament"
This, however. is begging the
issue. If there should be no other
method available for meeting the
situation, this department has a
suggestion, Let the l945 summer
tournament of the A. c. B. L., which
would otherwise probably be held in
New York City, and the winter
championship games at place not
yet designated, be postponed until
next year or such other times as may
be necessary, and held if possible in
1916, when the war, at least SO far
as Germany is concerned, may have
ended. Let there be two summer
tournaments and two winter tour
naments that year, one to be called
the 1945 summer tournament and
the other the 1945 winter tourna-
ment, as the case may be. This
would maintain the numerical con-
tinuity of the tournaments. The
players could save up the money
they would ordinarily spend at such
meetings in something like Christ
mas funds SO that they could at
tend them. There would then be
only lapse or postponement and
not break in the events.
The bridge players are willing and
anxious to conform to Mr.. Byrnes'
conditions, but they want their tour
naments to continue.
Mrs. Amelia Campbell mildly
chided her partner for his bidding
on the unusual hand below played
in a team-of-four game at the Fed
eral Bridge League. On a bid OF six
hearts, he made a grand slam, which
was a laydown. North Mrs Camp
belD was dealer, and her side was
vulnerable. This was the distribu-
ton of the cards:
AXXX
2JXX
AQ l0xx
i AK
A None K q j lux
010xxx N xAHH
w E y None
ok
Z loQ7Yy auox