TILDEN SUSPENDED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 443, 27 August 1928, Page 9

TILDEN SUSPENDED

PLAYER-WRITER RULES DRASTIC ACTION TAKEN GREAT SPLIT THREATENED (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Pres* Association.) (United Service) NEW YORK, Saturday. The executive 'ommittee of the United States Lawn Tennis Association after sitting for six hours, found W. T. Tilden guilty of a violation of the player-writer rule, and indefinitely suspended him from his amateur standing and from participation in any of its tournaments. It says Tilden’s articles on the Wimbledon tournament were in direct violation of the rules which he himself had approved of and undertaken to keep. The statement setting forth the decision presents the indictment against him in no uncertain terms. It recounts his previous so-called misdeameanours, and concludes: “The charge of violation is not an isolated one in his case, and the whole course of Tilden’s activities compels the adoption of drastic measures.” The statement further contains one observation which is causing considerable comment here, namely, that the association views with satisfaction the high level of amateurism among the other American players. It is remarked that at elast six other players are making large sums of monev from their tennis articles, which are very siimlar to Tilden’s. WILL DISPUTE FINDING Tilden says he will energetically dispute the association's charges against him. He calls the attention of all persons to the fact that he has done more for American tennis than the members of the committee which declared him guilty. In view of this statement there is every likelihood of a split in the ranks of organised tennis in Arherica. The newspapers make open charges that not only Tilden, but other players have received “padded” expense accounts, and that a distinct flavour of professionalism has tinctured the sport here. Tilden’s statement, moreover, contains the charge that the tennis officials here sacrificed him for a number of years in the interests of swollen gate receipts.