ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 89, 14 April 1917, Page 17

ATHLETICS.

says an American exchange:—ln tak it:_' ;;p..n t..>- i.-i-.io? tile reepoiKKii'.it) if purging .1:1.at. -J.- sfxTta of tae :j:ni iif ;.r■ifo.-.i n,i.:.-:u it is just possn>l< thai :hc Eastern athletic officia.s ma; '»■ biting ".T :iiore than they fan chew It a i>u] i nil imiuftoi v ;.- a in.' i »c cuw..i fee] tha: t:.e future wi'.! de le'.op a rare ■■: Msiunpure amateurs nourished ay t;ie nevt.i; of tne sods .in I supported !>v manna Iγ ■;:: the Hut >*c can't fee! ". .iat *ay: a> *no-s it'- tin- bunk. Not every _' -.rVr. tennii t'avne Whitney. ThererV.r.v an.-*hei and crr.-aiH- ians'T o'lifront.* th<" hiirh :nmded ant:.or.t .<•«. If the capitahsa tion of an atr. <-!,-■ reputation work: airaircsi: the .eTte: an.i spirit of tht aimateur .a'As. a:.at is t-» haroe: :n .1 sr.ort th.it :- to "f iriven over in it: entirety to The tern 15 nv.t j>*>(i as on<> of iireot reproach, bir merely to subil;\ide tr.e two thi minority own «»r the in foiTe or weaitfiv perrnita o>l ; leisure in wbioh t.> perfect mif> jame or the i*onst*nt!y inrrea.^ine , niHrrb<'r o who. «h.ie they may excel in somi branch of sp«3rt. are. nevertheless thrown tip>in :h t -jr r>wn resourci»s. t'nf >rtimate!y this is not a? the poe it. n«">r tho rea' lover of mi<rht w-ih it. I'-.;t it is in keeriin: with the spirit of American athletic Here the maenet >vhioh firaw* youni men an<i young .vvumen to a sport is it PnpTilanty. We mea.-nre the i>f a spi--rt hy the -'■<— :a.-]e :t In the olier countries --riokeT. Rugby an<i g.-vif were -<= 7a>.{ upon for the spor there was in them. A man muM ?wnaJ! :he afternoon .it a 1 ri.vci-t wicket en j'lyins , hitr..-p!f. The fart that he niizh' not have a .tow 1 of world's series pro portions never sM»m"d to kii-! the in terest in hi~ ftwn In th> l'nite-1 States a sport must he ahle t. h.y«i it? o-*n against the latest Zmgfeli foily. rb- 3 late-t fashion show, and tb iatest vampire film, or it i≤ not ac counted a success. To interest th mas of people in polf there has had t he and newspaper accounts o the deeds of of the "Chick Evanses and the Francis Ouimets. Tennis, which all out lananished and died because America had no champions was revived .vhen Maurice McLouatilin eh<-it aoroes the sporting horizon with, his cannon ball serve. And it is so with nearly all the oth«i forms of athletics. We like to be spec tatoTs. leaving the sterner battles to the STim-visaged Hercules of the foorbal S«4d. or the winged base-runners of tht diamond. At the sa-me thne the athletic aartbori ties ooarht to remember that a bat popn la.rity American sports have attained has about the democratk spirit aiiroa.i in the country. Tali fornia has developed several tennii champions iTi xjie lis_s; few years. of them ha? been able to put the con sidcration of his livelihood entirely oul of the picture whiie he devoted hknsefc to the net :itc Qurte the reverse The f'alifornia :>layer has ha.i to adop: some callinir that would permit of ha absences during tournament time. H< has taken up the callmff of satesnaan o sportinir and to what end? Thai he miffht himself ajvi ateo in ■iu]-z» his talents on ;he courts. Tell us. then. oh. Mr. President of trh< American Lawn Ten-nis As*iciation what is yniir remedy' Do yni; kno-a any line of business that is c-oinj t< st-an i ror irs s a !psmen orT when ■" y e- the ■• h.Ti seizes him. or a tourna ment is arranged? Or. maybe y-Mi in •en : . to fix the life of the tennis star ai his graduation from hisrh school or col Tlie β-hole thins—whether a man is ar amateur or professional-—ought to ?to; at the -n.ies he nveiie monej from play , " Ani it o-.i -ht to be direct question. If a swimmer. f skatpr. a skiver. n r a track man is foimf who in an exhibition ■>" his ath'etic ahili ties revived remuneration in the font lof coin of the rea ; m. he .-uizht to 'rv barre<l from ataleti" activities as ar amateur. But to insist that tfi° capitalisation o an athletic reputation is equivalent f j out and out professional ism is sains fro. ■ far. If that is :o be the interpretatior of the amateur ofnciaLs. let them so oui and establish a foundation and s'icoou; those athletes who. despite thr-> prowew •with thp racquet or the mashi?. mils' from tmie to trrne feel the need of 1 little ready money.