BROADSIDERS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 32, 7 February 1935, Page 15

BROADSIDERS

AUSTRALIAN^ TEST RIDERS

SPORT IN GERMANY

> Lionel van Praag and Dick Case, the | Australian international broadsiding , Test riders, arrived by the Monowai 1 on Monday afternoon for the opening of the season in Wellington, and were . followed promptly by a cable of pro--1 test from" the Australian control authorities. The cable, addressed to Empire Speedways, states that Sydney strongly objects to the taking of Australian , Test riders and that van Praag and , Case are^-being reported to the A.C.U., i Great, Britain. It is signed "White. A.C.U., Park Avenue, Randwick" ! Three of. the England-Australia Tests have already been ridden in Austrat lia, and there are two to go, but Bay both riders, the regulations give any , man the privilege of declining to take . part in Tests if he so desires, and that . being so there is, in their opinion, nothing for the Australian control to complain about. . Case has put up-a.remarkable record during the last five years', for he has taken part in 28 official Test matches ,in England and Australia, and has ridden on European tracks and done . promoting work in Europe. The attendance at the last Test in • Australia, he said, was 34,000, but that , was a trifle compared ■ with the enormous crowd at the last of the .Tests , at West Ham, England, when Austra-lia-won the deciding match before , 84,000 people. "Broadsiding is today easily the most popular summer sport at Home,"-'he said. "A little time ago it appeared 1 to be losing ground, but the introduction of the new ' method of electric gate and ."clutch' starting lifted it high in popularity:. The , last big Test was ridden at about the , same time as the cricket Test was played, and the attendance at that one evening's riding was equal to the total attendance at the three days' cricket. THE; NAZI RULE. "The sport began to take on well in Germany' and for a time things looked very good, but Herr Hitler put an abrupt end to promoting plans there," he continued: 'Tpreign athletes and sportsmen are very welcome in Germany, but Hitler lays it down that not more than 100 marks (about £8) of money won •or made, in Germany can be taken out, so that the'whole thing is a wash-out. The rule gave sport a bad knock-back, because tho people there are not interested in anything but international sport, and international sport does'.not live under the 100 marks limit" '■ Van Praag has been longer in broadsiding than any 'other rider in the world, as far as he knows, for he started with the beginning of the sport ten years ago. Most of his riding since 1931, when he was'-'last in New Zealand, has been done,af\V.embley..with Kilmister. In-the:first""Tests in Australia this year?tie'-\vas highest scorer. There is no .doubt,;he. said, today, that it was the electric gate and clutch start that gave the game its enormous popularity in the Old Country. People became tired«of the Selays arid uncery tainties of the push-off and flying starts and warmly welcomed the new method, which ensured heats' and finals to the minute and far more spectacular racing. Mr. ; van Praag : mentioned that there is a project to fly six of the English, riders, out to Australia next season, thus making it possible to gain a longer riding' season, and if the idea eventuated ;he would probably be co-pilot with' Sir Charles Kingsford Smith On i the trip. • ,