INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25580, 23 August 1948, Page 7

INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS

EASTERN EUROPEAN OBJECTIONS

PRESENCE OF SPANISH AT CONFERENCE

(Rec. 8 p.m.) STOCKHOLM, Aug. 21. The International Red Cross Conference unanimously elected Count Bernadotte (Sweden) as its chairman. It is the first Red Cross conference since the war and is attended by 500 delegates from 58 countries. Dr. Valerey Butrov (Russia) told the conference that the Red Cross should work for peace but “in the present agenda war is mentioned practically everywhere.” The Associated Press correspondent says that Dr. Butrov and Professor Boris Pachkov appeared unexpectedly at the conference after Russia had declined an invitation to attend.

Reuter’s Bucharest correspondent says that Rumania will not attend the conference “because the Red Cross, by admitting Spanish delegates, became supporters of the warlike, antidemocratic, and anti-humanitarian interests of imperialism.” The Czechoslovak Red Cross, in a statement explaining its refusal to take part in the conference, said it was impossible to believe in the honesty of the aims of the organisers, who had declined to invite the representatives of partisans and democratic women’s organisations, but were satisfied to meet the representatives of Franco Spain. The Czech reply added that the Red Cross did not help concentration camp victims and was doing nothing for Polish mothers who were still waiting in vain for the return of their children from Germany. Czechoslovakia would continue trying to democratise the International Red Cross.

DAVIS CUP

INTERZONE FINAL AT BOSTON

AUSTRALIANS AND CZECHS EACH WIN TWO MATCHES

(Rec. 11 p.m.) NEW YORK. August 21. With one match to be decided, Australia and Czechoslovakia have each won two matches in the Davis Cup inter-zone final at Boston. To-day. Drobny beat Quist. 6-8, 3-6. 18-16 6-3, 7-5. When failing light stopped play, Sidwell was leading Cernlk, 7-5. 3-1, in the deciding match. Drobny outclassed Quist physically, and scored more than twice as many service aces. Quist’s strokes worked well after a doubtful start, but he was never fast enough on his feet, ana found Drobny’s service progressively harder to handle. Quist missed a match point at 10-9 in the third set. He was never offered another, and when the match dragged to four and then five sets. Quist's chances against the rugged, imperturbable, unwearying Drobny steadily declined. Quist’s game lacked his pre-war fire, but his refusal even to chase shots that he might once have returned showed, more than anything else, how hard it Is to “come back” at 35. Only 40 minutes remained for Sidwell and Cernik to play in the deciding match before 6.30 p.m. the agreed time to adjourn until Sunday. Both were cautious and heavily conscious of their responsibility. It proved another battle of services, but with Sidwell more aggressive all round, and superior at volleying.

Drobny and Cernik. surprisingly beat Long and Brown, in the doubles match, 10-8, 4-6. 6-3, 6-4. The first set was a battle of services, which after 16 games remained unbroken. The Czechs, however, took the set when Brown's service failed—though chiefly on Leng's errors—in the twentieth game. In this set both Brown and Drobny served at terrific speed, and there were frequent aces.

After breaking Cernik's tame service in the first game, the Australians were not greatly troubled to take the second set. in which Cernik had bad patches at critical moments. The Czechs, after leading. 4-1. took the third set convincingly. Drobny again scored magnificently and generally played sparkling tennis.

Long was the weak link in the Australian team. Brown, as in the earlier sets, drove his forehand savagely in the fourth set. but Long was below form and the Australians had to fight hard to retain their services. Drobny was carrying his burden with calm concentration.

Brown lost his service in the ninth game to give the Czechs a 5-4 lead, and then Drobny served finely to win the game, the set, and the match. This was the first Davis Cup doubles Long had ever lost. He was handicapped by an injured ankle.