THE PEACE IDEAL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 16, 20 January 1928, Page 9

THE PEACE IDEAL

VALUE OF SPORT SOME TENNIS IMPRESSIONS (By an "Onlooker.") - There must have been many amongst those who witnessed tlio international tennis contest at Miraniar on Wednesday an.d Thursday who realised that the significance-of. such meetings with representatives from nations overseas lay deeper than tho mere game itself. It was not merely the game for the game's sake; one was impressed with the possibilities of the development of tho'com-petitive-spirit between the different peoples of tho world to such an extent that it may make the whole world kin. Tho logical conclusion is the ideal of world peace. : Tho contesting teams were composed of men who were in direct contrast in style, mpthoxl, temperament, and demeanour. Tho Frenchmen wero agile, volatile, and, as it typical of their race, more apt to show their emotions, both in applauding a good shot by au opponent or sympathising With him in one which deserved to be decisive, and in showing their dissatisfaction when they felt they had not played a stroke as well as it should have been played. The New Zealanders were also typical of their race—serious, plodding, and 4qtermined to make a good showing against the greater odds. But one .thing was common to all; the sporting spirit was paramount, Umpires are only human, and so it was inevitable that they made occasional mistakes which the player, wore quick to realise. Many times, on both sides, the player who had benefited by the wrong decision sacrificed tho next point. The unbiased generosity and sporting discrimination of tho crowd in applauding good play irrespective of the side on which it occurred was still more striking, and one could not but think that friendly meetings on the field of sporting rivalry provide a more effective and more democratic method of creating mutual understanding and sympathy and of cementing international relations than conference negotiations between representatives of Governments. This seemed to be the un-; derlying motive of the captain of the French team when at tho close of the play he called upon" his colleagues to applaud the local team with four cheers for "the New Zealanders whom we hope soon to meet again in France." The broadening of the international outlook was also the idea of the donor of the Davis Cup in creating these in- j tornational tennis contests. Tennis is a game which has developed faster iv popularity in the last ten or twenty years than any other, and its rapid growth has imposed a great demand for playing courts. The big international attraction this week has served1 to impress upon many who were unaware of tho scheme the foresight -of tho Wellington Lawn Tennis Association in laying down seventy odd tennis courts to meet that demand in Wellington; Much has been done in the last two years since the scheme was finalised, and in a few years the benefits which the association is conferring npon the community will be more fully appreciated.