Tilden Ousted

William Tatem Tilden has not been popular in France. A year ago at the St. Cloud tournament, the crowd disliked his patronizing attitude, his brusque commands to the ball boys; one section of the stands hissed when he criticized a lineman's decision. But when Rene Lacoste defeated Tilden in the finest tennis ever seen on the Continent, Frenchmen went to the cafes content.

Later, as everyone knows, Tilden was drubbed by both Lacoste and Cochet, in England and the U. S. France captured the Davis Cup as well as every important singles championship.

Last week, at the Hotel Carlton in Paris, occurred an incident that made Tilden almost popular among the Gauls. Drawings for the Davis Cup interzone finals between Italy and the U. S. were about to be held. "Where is Tilden?" said a French official, "we cannot go on with the draw unless the American captain is present."

"Tilden is no longer captain," said Joseph H. Wear, chairman of the U. S. Davis Cup Committee.

Then, Tilden came into the room, was cheered, and the matter was explained. A message had been received from the U. S. Lawn Tennis Association suspending Tilden from play in the Davis Cup matches or any other amateur tournaments, because he had written newspaper articles about the Wimbledon tournament. His defense was that his articles consisted of comment, not reportorial details. No hairsplitter, W. O. McGeehan, sportswriter for the New York Herald Tribune suggested: "There seems to be a simple and obvious solution for two of the most vexing current problems, prohibition and amateurism, and that is, to abolish them both."

After the cable was read in the Hotel Carlton, Tilden cried: "I refute all charges. We will win the Davis Cup yet. I hereby apply for a job training American Davis Cup members for the gruelling matches ahead." Baron de Morpurgo, captain of the Italian team, rushed up to Tilden, said: "I'm sorry, Bill. This takes all the fun out of it." Some said the Baron grinned. But there was no doubt of the sincerity of Lacoste, who soon came to Tilden's room to express regrets.

From bank to bank, from bar to bar, news of ousted Tilden spread. Even before EXTRAS appeared, groups of U. S. undergraduates were arguing bitterly about "a dirty rabbit-punch from back home/' The minority side of the argument was that "the young players were better off without Tilden bossing them around, anyway." Frenchmen, almost without exception, said that Tilden had been treated unfairly.*They had heard a rumor that Lacoste was going to write articles for American newspapers./- The Parisian mind could not bring itself to understand what writing had to do with tennis eligibility. Not since Lindbergh had Paris become so worked up over an American phenomenon.

Next day, a handful of Frenchmen and several handfuls of U. S. tourists--500 in all--went out to the Roland Garros Stadium at Auteuil to watch the Italians and the U. S. younger ones play.

A "typical" freckle-faced Midlander from Indianapolis named John Hennessey was largely responsible for the prevention of a Roman holiday. Captain Baron de Morpurgo, "best player in Europe outside of France," opened with a twisting service that made Hennessey look like a baffled monkey. Hennessey served and the Baron, with perfect control, took that game too. Soon Hennessey began to discover that the Baron's game, pretty though it was, had little variation. Confidence came to Hennessey; his drives hit in corners of the court and twisted out of the Baron's reach; his work at the net was deadly; he returned the Baron's lobs like nothing at all. The set went to 4--4 and Hennessey walked off with the last two games. In the second set, the Baron flashed for four straight games and then, grin gone, petered out. It was his turn to look like a baffled (and tired) monkey. Hennessey's match: 6--4, 7--5, 6--2.

Francis T. Hunter of the U. S. had little trouble with a brunet named Placido Gas-Ilni; 6--i, 6--i, 6--o.

The U. S. clinched the right to meet France in the Davis Cup challenge round, when Hennessey and George M. Lott Jr. wiped out the Italian doubles team of the Baron and Gaslini, the following day.

Hennessey and Lott, in their present form, are likely to be the first of the younger brood to reach the plane of Lacoste, Cochet, Tilden. Both are products of the clay courts; both have played since the age of short-pants. Hennessey is 27, six feet tall, built for swift change of pace. His defense at the baseline and his judgment at the net are good; his service, weak. Lott is 21 and one of the best volleyers in the game. His weakness is a tendency to smash the ball.

Hunter, 34, who was ranked next to Tilden last year, has apparently reached the peak of his game, which is resourceful but not brilliant.

Junior Coen, 16, is a genuine boy-wonder, but still he is a bey. Two more years of volleying are what he needs.

Other capable young players are Arnold W. Jones, Willmer Allison, John Van Ryn, John H. Doeg.

*Joseph H. Wear cabled his resignation r.j chairman of the U. S. Davis Cup Committee, because he too believed that Tilden had b:c:i treated unfairly.

/-The rumor has been confirmed; the New York Evening Post began on July 23 to publish a series of articles by Rene Lacoste on how to play tennis, with critical analysis of famed players.--ED.