THE SPORTING WORLD

Evening Star, Issue 16463, 29 June 1917, Page 6

THE SPORTING WORLD

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

[From Our London Correspondent.]

April 18. ATHLETIC TOPICS.

The Rhodes scholars at Oxford have prevented athletics being quite dead since the war started, but the entry of the United States into the league against the Prussian savages will make an inroad into matters connected with the running path. Already many Rhodes scholars from America have shown that they are not too proud to fight, or have rendered assistance in other ways, such as with the Red Cross Society. From now on, however, every patriotic American at Oxford or Cambridge will don the lighter's uniform. Thus the outlook for athletics at the 'varsities is not good at present, and the writer cannot agree with numerous sporting scribes, who are so insistent in demanding that efforts must be made to carry on. There is a timo to play and a time to fight, and sports for others than fighters or workers on war necessities are out of place at present.

It has been suggested that we should now cater for lads under 18, bo that the athletic game may be kept alive. This* savors of a selfish policy in the ink-rest of sporting papers and sporting journalLsis. It is fitting that our fighters should ho catered for, and men and women <sßt&§ed in work of national importance need i«ilaxation. It should not be lost sight of, however, tliat in 99 cases out oJ a. hundred a man fit enough to play football or take part in running races who is engaged in munitions or other exempted, trades is a shirker. Real men who are fit join the fighting forces, and it must harm sport that stalwart footballers, healthy athletes, youthful billiard players, and others aro not in khaki—even "though they may be doing useful work. There ar<> plenty of men, boyß, women, and girk unfit for fighting who can make munitions, till the soil, work the railways, mines, and other vital occupations. Not the least satisfactory matter connected with the joining in of the United States is that it will probably mean the round-up of the shirkers who have gone there so as to evade a man's work. Thero is nc need to name the boxers and others who have so badly failed their Empire and brought discredit on the particular sport they excel in. It will give great pleasure to sportsmen should these shirkers be made to do the proper thing after all, instead of being freo to gather in the shekels whilst leaving their patriotic fel-low-boxc-rs to do the fighting. To return a moment to the question of athletics and other sports at the public schools. This is not the time to carry on as usual, and the proper policy would be to entirely close the public schools, so as to release the lads for work on the land. At any rate, all above 13 years of age might bo so employed, and the health?, outdoor lifo would take the place of sports as a means of developing their bodies and general health. Education is a fine thing, but food is still more important, and we '."vast produce more, so that thero i 6 reason to feel disgusted to read of football, cycling, .running, hunting, billiards, and other sports, save for fighters and genuine war workers. CURIOUS SALMON FISHING.

During Easter the writer liad a few days' respite from shells and bombs, and took the opportunity to got four days' fresh air on the banks of the Stour, near Bournemouth. It was a nice change from the dirtv atmosphere jf a- Lancashire mining centre, in spite of unusually wintry weather. Salmon have come up the Stour in larger numbers than usual this season, and four days' fishing led to the eaoture of four fish and two kelts. The salmon weighed 2741b, 26!b, 261b, and 181b, two being taken with sprats and two with prawns. Not having done any fishing or other outdoor sport for 14 months, the unusual exercise of spinning (and only salmon anglers know how hard it is) led to abnormal backache. So bad was this that the writer was forced to sit down at the head of a pool and work a praivn as best he could. Of course he was chefi'ed. and asked if he was after roach, but it was another song when an eighteenpounder seized tho lure. The next day a similar incident happened, and during a brief rest whilst trying to work a prawn, a-nother fish of 26ib"was hooked and gaffed. It was certainly strange that out of 40 hours' fishing, of which 39 were done in tho orthodox fashion and one hour sitting down, two out of four fish were caught during the "resting" period. The bigger fish caught with the prawn made a, grand fight, the first rush being nearly 20yds when the fish came out of the water. It showed again directly after, and went on down stream (which was strong) for another 40yds before your correspondent could overtake it and "get below. After this the fish went upstream for 70vds, fighting hard and keeping deep, and a "full ha if-hour passed before it was sufficiently tired to be brought near enough for a brother-angler to use tho gaff. The extra fine fight the fish made was then explainsd, for on getting the salmon out it was discovered that ho was foul-hooked in tho belly. The moral is. when an angler's back aches after many hours spinning, put on a prawn, sit down at the top of a pool, and trust to luck. BOXING.

U illustrates the good spirits of our soldiers when boxing competitions are brought off within sound of the guns and even nndur reach of them in France. A big tournament has just -been decided pn tho battle line, in which several prominent boxers took part. One of the attractions was a four-round contest between Private Dai Roberts, of the Surrey Rifles, and Corporal Clifford, ot the Irish' Guards. The latter had a big advantage, in the matter of weight, but Roberts made up for this in science, tho well-known Welsh welter-weight gaining the decision on points. There was also a special sixround go in which Corporal Fred Preston. Surrey Rifles, boat Gunner Bob Langmani of the Royal Field Artillery, on points. Tho Surrey Rifles is a hot regiment for boxers. Sergeant Dick linrge"and Corporal Pat O'Keefe being larcely responsible for inducing roanv London "boxers to join.

Some hard hitting was *een in the contest between Private Jack Curphv and Private Denis Haugh at the National Sporting Club on Monday. The Grenadier was tho smarter boxer, and ho soon had Haugh in trouble, finally knocking him ont iti tho fourth round.

Another important bout was seen at JToxtnn, where Sergeant H. Cur/on, D.0.A1., boat Sergeant T. Gnmmer. The latter was gamorrc-s« itself, but quite outmatched, and finally forced to retire in the ninth round.

It v.-ill surprise and interest many renders to know that c ome of the box-Bra who have lost their sicrht since the war arc ahle to enjoy and follow tho progress of a contest from the sound of the blows coupled with a little description by companions. Andrew Jopf-ha. at one 'time a famous boxer, was »mii? the company ?-*> the rertn;- V<Mii which enabled .Jimmy WiJde to nvO;.* -no iiy-weisrht belt hU own, p:..-! ;,»>.-> h\vM min was able to tell bow tba >.-.'uC- \c:y. aoing from the sotuid, which in roteresti'ij'. THC TTRF.

Flat racing has again commenced. The Nations! Hunr, season c;:me to an end with the Windsor meeting, the final day being associated with a splendid effort on tho part of Captain Dreyfus. Mr J? jj_ Hunt's crack 'chaser -to-; carrying 12.4 in the April Handicap Stc-epiec/ia?-e..~ftrd was called on to uive ;imv lots of weight to his 15 rivals. Though th« top weight did not dv.it-e wir., ha looked like doinpso between th« two last fence*, but Poothlyn shower] the most speed on tho vun in, Mrs K. Peel's representative finally baatiatt th« crack by four lengths. Captain Dreyfus hn.s proved himself a splendid 'chaser this KRCiPOn, and it is a. debatable point as to whethprhe or Templedowney is the better in training up to three miles. Another feature of the Windsor final day was the large fields, no fewer thn.r. 29 contesting the Selling Handicap Hurdle Race, whilst 19 turned out for the Beaconsfield Handicap Hurdle Race. It was very unfortunate for Lord Suffolk that. bis steeplechaser Father Confessor oamo down in the April Steeplechase thereby breaking a leg. so that he had to be destroyed. Ho chewed great pronusa

as a four-year-old. winning several E©o> races at Sandown and Hirst Park, foflon ing which he finished third to Ally Slope and Jacobus for the last Aintree' Gran' National. More reentry he ran up t/ Ballyinacnd for ih» War National at Gal,wlck, and had -II gone well with hin bigger honors looked possible, for he wai a fine fencer and well suited by a cours» like Aintree ' It is announced that the. ground over which the Waterloo Coursing Meeting is decided has been ploughed up and planted with oats. This is the proper course to take, and though it means that at least two years must elapse before coursing is possible at this venue, every patriot recognises that our food supply must outweigh every other consideration. One applauds the owners, and the .action referred to makes better reading than the recent announcement of how a stag and 18 hounds of the West Somerset staghonnds got into a, reservoir and were drowned, with the waste of all the water. We can do without stag hunting in war time, and find better use for horses and men. A GREAT RECORD. The wonderful Army Service Corps (Rugby) team concluded the season with a win over the United Service Runny team at "l3lackheath on Saturday, which I was scire atonement for their only reverse of the reason at the hands of a. United Service side at Richmond. In the latest match the A.S.C. beat their rivals by two goals and two tries to a goal, or 16 points to 5. There were some noted, players m the United Service side, including W. A. Miliar (captain), of South Africa, and sSergeaofc E. Roberts, of >iew Zealand, both of whom vere very irine.li to the fare. During the saason tho Army Servico Corps team have played. 26 £a;rio3, winning all save on*, and 'wjorinff' 1.119. points against 41 by thciv vivalsj which is certainly a wonderful, record. AraLETxOS. —All founders.— The mention of R. E-. Giiviwd and the position ho gained ixs tho Pentathlon at Stockholm in & rftujiciifer that we are by no mews tho nation if all-roaaders some of the critics of fctker nations -aronUi sugI ignorant critics hav& freqwaiitiy <auade the assertion that the Americans speeialisi to extremes, and that our me:; are all-round performers, and so on. The athletic records do not support this, nor do the governing bodk-6 do much to foster aJlround athletes. We have no all-round championship in England, though the nveut is very popular across the Atlantic. It is s bit of a jar to find no Britisher nearer than ninth in a trial wherein ability as a runner, swimmer, horseman, and skill at j arms is concerned. One also remembers how the American Indian Jim Thorpe t showed up our cracks in another all-round I competition, that wonderful man displayj ing form in several of the events which ! would have won him English championship ' honors in average years. We might well | develop the all-round athlete, and it vrould j he pleasing to see the authorities include a Pentathlon among the list of championships. —A Great Sprinter.— • That wonderful little sprinter, R. E. Walker, of South Africa, is again in England. After doing his bit in the German South-west Africa campaign, he has joined the S.A. Scottish, and he is undergoing iTnal training before having a go at the Huns in Europe. Walker flashed into famo when he won the 100 metres race at tho 1912 Olympiad, and the writer well remembers that race. He was standing next to the late James E. Sullivan, on the stand, when the men went to the mark, and America's great athletic authority expressed the opinion that Rector (U. V S.A.) would do 9j|sec for the 109 yards. The writer remarked that, given a perfect start. Walker would run Rector to a foot, ana perhaps win. We all watched the start, Walker having the inside, with Rector next on his right. The track was naturally more cut up on the inside, so that Walker had none the best of it- At the flash of the pistol Rector appeared to be smarter than Walker, but after going about 40 yards the little Natal man was travelling splendidly, and the writer put down his glasses and said : " Walker has won this race." So it proved, for the South African commenced to draw away at the half-distance, and finishing with a fine burst he passed tho tape with a lead of four feet over Rector. Walker did not show to so much advantage when he went over to the ranks of the nrofessionals, but later on he did splendidly in a profesl sional meeting at Manchester in 1912. : With two varus start from J. Donaldson, he won Iho 130 yards handicap in 12 9-16 sec, and also a special 120 yard? handicap from the one-yard mark, A. E. i Postle (half a yard start) being beaten a 1 yard, whilst Donaldson (scratch) was j fourth. Walker is not too old to do big ! things yet. He was 19 when he won tho '. Jxwidon Olympic sprint, and, should ho ! return safely from tho war, ho may demon- . 6trate that he can still sprint.