BRIDGE FEUD ENDED

Evening Star, Issue 22817, 27 November 1937, Page 3

BRIDGE FEUD ENDED

RIVAL LEAGUES MERGED AGREEMENT (Hi LAWS OF GAME The feud that has divided bridge players in the United States for the past five years has ended with the merger of the American Bridge League and the United States Bridge Association. The name of the new league will probably be the American Bridge Association, says the ‘ Daily Telegraph and Morning Post.’ In accordance with the international code of laws introduced in 1935. there will be no change in the laws of bridge. When the international code was introduced players were promised that no change involving new scoring or new rules would be made before 1940. The feud now ended began in 1932, when Mr George Keith, governor of the American Bridge League, resigned from that body and, with Mr C. Milton Work, Mr Ely Culbertson, Baron yon Zedwitz, and others, started a rival organisation, the United States Bridge Association. They alleged that the league was not _ organised on a sufficiently democratic basis. Mr Milton Work was elected president of the new body, which soon became dominated by Mr Culbertson. This accentuated the bitter feeling between the two organisations, because the leaders of the league, Mr Hal Sims, Mr William E. M'Kenny, Sir Derrick Wernher, and Mr Phil Coffin, were at daggers drawn with Mr Culbertson. At that time the league was in the stronger position, being affiliated to the International Bridge League. In 193435 Mr Culbertson came to Europe and organised on the Continent the International Bridge Association. This body never actually held a European championship, but its existence was a menace to unity in the international field. Last year the International Bridge League agreed to a merger, provided that the title and continuity of the International Bridge League wore retained in the new body. A condition of this merger was the affiliation of the United States Bridge Association to the International Bridge League. As Only one body in each country could by the constitution be so recognised, this entailed the deaffiliation of the American Bridge League. This year the Pour Aces team won the grand national in America, and so gained the right to represent the United States in the world championship at Budapest. Being adherents of the American Bridge League, they refused to go. The runners-up, the Minnesota team, were sent instead. It looked as if American bridge was more hopelessly divided than ever. In June last Mr Culbertson, who had succeeded to the presidency of the United States Bridge Association when Mr Milton Work died in 1935, resigned. He was succeeded by Mr George Reith, who at once started a movement to amalgamate witli the American Bridge League, in which he still retained a considerable following. His efforts have now been crowned with success, and at future international meetings America will present a united front. Mr Culbertson is still chairman of the Executive Committee and of the Committee on Foreign Relations in the association.