VOLLEY FROM BACKSTAGE

Mr. William T. Tilden, 2nd, fallen idol, erstwhile tennis king, alleged author, who is now an enthusiastic disciple of Thespis, has discovered a striking resemblance between acting and tennis. The similarity for the most part seems to be that a long period of practice, in which technical knowledge is to be accumulated, must be suffered in both great pastimes. He does not point out the likeness of temperament displayed by actresses and by Mile. Lenglen. By Mr. Tilden has made all sorts of court terms apply to the stage so that for a moment he seems to have said something. Continuing the comparison, he comes to the conclusion that there should be a national contest to determine the best actor or actors as well as a national tournament to find the best tennis player.

If one wanted to take this sort of a suggestion seriously he could think of a lot of reasons for not liking it--could think of so many that he would finally decide not to take it seriously at all, and he doesn't. But for Mr. Tilden it is a different matter, as he has just left the tennis firmament and is in a new world which needs conquering. He knows what zest a really ambitious tournament adds to the occasion and hence is out to sharpen the spirit of competition in dramatic circles. One fears, however, for the outcome of Mr. Tilden in the event, that his all-American acting team should be chosen, it only on the basis of Critic Benchley's cogent comment that Tilden could probably coin more cash with Pyle's than with his own theatrical troupe.