The Remise
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The Remise
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January 1940
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5
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4
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5
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en
THE REMISE
Notice may be found elsewhere in this issue of the resignation of Warren A. Dow as Chairman of the Metropolitan Bout Committee and the election of Ralph E. Marson to that position for the remainder of the season. When one realizes that Dow was Chairman of the National Bout Committee, Chairman of the Metropolitan Bout Committee, member of the A.F.L.A. Board of Governors and the Metropolitan Committee of the A.F.L.A., Business Manager of The Riposte, while at the same time competing actively in every competition in his classification and training an amateur class in foil, it is no wonder that he finally found it necessary to shed some of his responsibilities. Dow was a conscientious Chairman, a hard worker, a good Judge and Director in all weapons and a strict and impartial enforcer of rules. He inspired confidence among his co-workers toward whose training and encouragement he devoted considerable time and patience. He deserves the thanks of the hundreds of fencers in New York City who have competed this season in fencing matches under his arrangement and management.
Ralph Marson is relatively inexperienced in Bout Committee work. However, he has accepted his full duties with energy and the desire to do a difficult job well. As a Senior foilsman and sabreman and Junior epeeist he assumes his Chairmanship with a good technical knowledge of the sport. With the present, trained Bout Committee standing by him plus any new members he proposes for addition, he has a competent and experienced staff of co-workers. We believe that the New York Metropolitan Committee will find itself justified in his election.
The most responsible positions in the A.F.L.A. and other fencing leagues are those of the scores of Bout Committee Chairmen throughout the country. In accepting their duties, they sacrifice much of their personal time and energy to their Leagues and to the furtherance of fencing. To them and to their predecessors should go full credit for the development of competitive fencing in the United States to its present important position.
This column wishes Marson every success in his new Chairmanship. Nor does it hold any reservations as to that success from his evidences to date. Naturally, he cannot do the whole job singlehanded. He needs the cooperation of the many self-sacrificing fencers who work every year to make the Bout Committee’s task accomplishable. We are counting upon him to see that we have yet to see the fencers let themselves down.
Edward Carfagno, second ranking foilsman in the United States, came to New York City for so short a stay that he had time to enter only one competition. As representative of the Los Angeles Athletic Club and member of the Southern California Division he had driven cross-country with his new bride to take the round trip to Cuba for the second United States-Cuba fencing matches. He entered the Individual Open Foil Competition on January 6th and surprised everyone, naturally excepting his bride, by winning the gold medal. We say “surprised” not in relation to his usual skill but rather to his poor showing in the earlier part of that particular competition. His earlier bouts had been far from spectacular which made his recovery in the Finals all the more “surprising.” He nearly missed qualifying from the semi-final round but did accomplish that on the basis of touches and then in the Finals proceeded to cut down one opponent after another in a steady methodical manner to end the long afternoon at the top of the list.
The fencing as a whole showed early-season lack of training on the part of most fencers. Huffman, Dow and Lewis were noticeably off form, Lewis being eliminated just before the Final Pool of six. Jose de Capriles and Silvio Giolito fenced well and their elan was in striking contrast to the rest of the competitors.
If the feeling persists that New Yorkers are jealous of their own, witness the fact that Carfagno was a popular winner and received the sincere congratulations of everyone. He will always be welcome to New York competition, provided of course, that he brings Mrs. Carfagno to present all of the medals.
