Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-13
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s1AAN
Of Red Mac McLouqhIin

and tady and hardly commensurate with the deeds and
important the legacy which Maurice Evans Nc
Loughn left to tennis before his death this week This
a TO whom the sport owed debt fully as large
the obligation of golf TO Francis Oumet
They came the at approximately the
time and the twin forces created twin revolutions The
man-on-thestreet became OF golf on September
90 1918 when the amateur Ouime slender bespectaced
excaddy defeated Englands great professionals Harry
vardon and Ted Ray in playoi for the National Open
title at Brookline, Mass.
Maurice Mclaughlin did the same thing for tennis
He took II off the of exclusive clubs and carried
the public parks Baseball football and racing bluffs
suddenly found a hero in Mclaughlin. impressed
Californian with unruly mop of red hair and wild
game all his own, and frghtfuly upsettng to the old
school of casSicst worshippers at Newport
OF Newport and society" tennis of the era Bill Tfden
said One felt the players might persprebut
sweat 1t annoyed me- felt the deserved something
more vital and more fundamental"
McLoUGHLIN. CALLED 1.-The California Comet" and
Red Mac supplied that need of which Tden spoke In his
books My Story Tlden recalled his first glimpse Of
Mclaughlin.
lit was during the Davis Cup tie-England against
the United States-at the Germantown Cricket Club in
1909 was Just kid of II but confirmed tennis nut.
Everybody who was anybody on an American court had
come to see those matches Mclaughlin, though not
member Of the team. sat in the stands.
The day of the doubles the committee found they
needed additional attraction Mclaughlin asked
TO play Nathanial W. Niles thee-set exhibition match
The audience knew all about Niles. He OF the
Boston Nes-and might be expected classcist Of the
finest kind Every stroke model every picture his
game represented od-school tennis at its best"
TILDEN REMEMBERED THAT Niles strobe out to the
court every in his trousers perfect his shirt
tailored to the last word hair in place Around his
brow immaculate white handkerchief catch any
drop Of perspraon that might arise after undue exertion
Then" Tilden resumed, "trudged out awkward,
rather sloppy looking kid with mop of flaming red hair
and devastating grin-Red Mac
.. Twenty minutes later they left the court. Nc
Loughn had stormed the net swatted anything he could
get racquet on, and sweated and yelled by turns He
had enjoyed the whole thing though he looked bedragged
to the skin and thoroughly disreputabe Mr. Niles.
the other hand had finished the match still inch
the fashion plate.
THE creases undisturbed in trousers his shirt un-
stained his headband dry-he had indicated the old
school tradition. The score? Oh, yes Mclaughlin won,
CO. 60"
WHETHER McLoUGHLINs GAME was sufficiently
pure and classic to permit the Comet to be compared
with such artists Norman Brookes Billy johnston Henri
Cochet, Tilden and perhaps Don Bulge is not OF vital
Importance What Red Mac did. however. humanize
tennis and inspire young people to take racquet TO the
public courts from end of the country the other
But he good enough better make that great .
20 be elected to the National Tennis Hall OF last
March and Mclaughlin had done anything before
after August H. 1914 he deserved the honor for his
heroics on that day alone.
Although he Americas No. ranked player In
1924 he not the national champion in IA. In
what considered stunning upset. Norris Williams
II had defeated him in the final This pair. Mclaughlin
and williams the manstays OF the Davis Cup team.
zone contest particularly will go down in history
probably the greatest played" wrote Frederick B.
Alexander himself famous nternatonalist referring to
McLoughn threeset victory Brookes since knghted
and still big tennis figure In Australia Tennis history
will probably never record such a set.
RED MAC WON FROM Brookes, captain OF the Austral-
ian team and the worlds recognized champion i7-l5,
63 SO II such battle Of services that McLough
only In the entire match lost his service and
that did not until the third game Of the final set
The next day the Californian established himself
the worlds best when he defeated Anthony Wildng In
four sets HE literally bowled the two finest players
the game has known" commented Jewet Kicker IT,
See WIN. LOSE OR DRAW, rage C-S