CHAMPIONS RILED

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1932, Page 6

CHAMPIONS RILED

CASH OFFERS TO CHARLTON

‘‘GRATUITOUS INSULTS.”

SYDNEY, Feb. 18.

Two of Australia’s leading athletes in Andrew Charlton and Jack Crawford came into the limelight this week. Charlton called offers made to him to turn professional swimmer “gratuitous insults,” while Crawford complained about the manner in which his tennis play in’ the recent games against the Japanese teams and in the Australian championships was criticised Charlton, who has been selected as one of Australia’s Olympic Games representatives received two offers from professional bodies. One was from the Sydney League of Swimmers, pointing out to Charlton that they had completed negotiations for a visit by John Weissmuller, the former world amateur champion (who has turied professional) next year, and urging Charlton to also turn professional. The letter from the league enumerated the benefits, in cash, which would accrue from such an action and asked Charlton for a reply. A group of sportsmen in Adelaide, after Charlton had won the 1650yds championship of the National Games, offered him a big sum of money to appear in a race at Adelaide bathsTo have accepted the offer, said Charlton, would have been to forfeit his amateur status.

Replying to the rumours of professionalism, Charlton said: “I take these offers as gratuitous insults. My reply to these offers is that I have always been an amateur, and intend to remain so. I will do my best for Australia at the Games, and when they are over I have not, and never have had, any intention of turning professional. After the Games, I intend to marry and settle down on a property of my own in the country.

Jask Crawford has been the subject of much adverse criticism in the Press of Australia recently because of Ills inconsistent form in \ tennis matches.

In his own words, he is “getting tired of the croakers,’’and in a special interview said: “In some people’s eyes it is a crime for me to play a poor game, no matter what the circumstances may be. I ani prevailed upon to go here and there to play in tournaments far more than former Australian champions; but I am expected to be at my top the whole time. My record is not a poor one. I mention it only in my defence, for I have lost only two matches in the inter-State games for New South Wales, in six years. Every tournament' singles I played in last year I won, and apart from these matches, Satoh, Nunoi and Hopman were tne only men to beat me. My physical Vonditior? ifiid* Mstnmina are all right. But sometimes I get so much tennis that I become mentally tired. If I cud no have the will to win I should lose more often.’’

Much of the criticism of Crawford’s play followed a statement by Mr J. Clemenger, recently appointed manager of the Australian Davis Cup team. Mr Clemenger, said that he would ensure that every member of the Davis Cup, which is not yet selected would have to be physically fit and ready for play before he would be allowed to go on the courts, and, although he did not mentio nnames, most followers of tennis took his words to mean that Crawford was inferred. Crawford also threw anothor'Ntombshell in to the camp of tawn tennis officialdom in Australia by announcing that unless his wife was a Hawed to accompany him on the Davis Cup trip, lie (Crawford) would not accept a place in the team. Unlike the Board of Control of Cricket which prohibits relatives travelly with the cricket teams on overseas tours, the Lawn Tennis Federation of Australia has no set policy in this respect, and a special meeting of the council has been called to consider the question.