Championships Still "On Schedule"
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Championships Still "On Schedule"
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Date
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February 1942
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7
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1
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CHAMPIONSHIPS STILL "ON SCHEDULE"
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Cancellation of national championships in some sports has led to some speculation as to whether fencing would carry on its full schedule during the remainder of 1942. This article outlines some of the most important thoughts discussed by the A. F. L. A.'s board of governors on the matter.
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THE National Championships were cancelled in 1918 because of World War I. In that year practically all of the more experienced fencers were in active service and it was impossible to hold a true championship. It is within the realm of possibility that similar causes in World War II may make it necessary for A. F. L. A. to cancel the championships again. Although such action does not appear necessary at the present time, the Championships are scheduled for June and many things can happen in four months within a nation at war.
The Board of Governors of the Amateur Fencers League of America has considered this problem. It has declared its earnest desire to conduct such championships unless conditions are so adverse that their cancellation is necessary. As one of the few remaining national fencing organizations, the A. F. L. A. realizes its international responsibility to carry on with fencing championships and maintain at least this American branch of the International Fencing Federation active as long as possible. It also realizes its responsibility in providing these championships for the competitive fencers of the nation. It believes that to cancel the Championships during World War II merely because of the precedent of World War I would be an idle gesture of a debilitating rather than patriotic nature. At the same time it realizes that such cancellation may become necessary and has outlined those causes which would make it vote against holding a championship in any year in which the United States was at war.
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National Representation
If restrictions upon civilian transportation are such that the Pacific Coast, Midwest and any other sectional champions are not permitted to come to the National Championships those championships would not be truly representative of the country's best fencers. Under such conditions the championships would have to be cancelled.
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Quality
If so many of our best fencers enter the services or assume work in defense industries and temporarily discontinue their fencing that the Board of Governors cannot consider the remaining fencers truly representative of the strongest American fencing, the championships will have to be cancelled.
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Available Organization
If so many of our approved directors and judges enter the services or assume work in defense industries that the National Bout Committee cannot provide adequate officiating at its championships, the Board of Governors will cancel such championships. The Board of Governors cannot approve the results of any National Championship inefficiently conducted. If the government authorities are opposed to evening gatherings of competitors and spectators the Board of Governors must comply with such regulations and cancel such assemblies.
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Expense
If the expense to the A. F. L. A. of transporting its defending and sectional champions to the championships and the expense to the visiting individual competitors for food and lodging during the championships should increase to an amount out of reason with the spirit of the Gala Week, the championships would have to be cancelled until a return to more normal conditions again made the conduct of such championships attractive to all.
These are the conditions which the Board of Governors intends to weigh periodically in the coming months. It admits that some of these conditions appear quite remote at the present time. No one can tell, however, the changes which may result quickly from various emergency measures which may be ordered as the war proceeds. It has taken the precaution to outline these considerations as a guide to its future decisions.
Even should the National Championships have to be cancelled it is the desire of the Board of Governors to preserve the Gala Week, if possible. It would substitute local or sectional titles for the national titles and conduct as strong a series of competitions as then-existing conditions would permit.
