451 



circuit-of ^Britain race was also won by Beaumont, this time from Vedrines, the total 

 distance being about 1,000 miles. In 1912 the principal events were the various military 

 aeroplane tests organised by the French, German and British War Departments. The 

 Gordon-Bennett race held at Chicago was won by Vedrines for France at a mean speed 

 of 105 miles per hour. Legagneux put the altitude record up to 18,767 feet. The 

 hydro-aeroplane has been considerably developed, and a number of competitions for 

 it have been organised. 



Badminton. 



: .Ac steady, if not very great, increase in the number of clubs and players has been 

 accompanied by a corresponding rise in the general level of proficiency. In the tactics 

 of the players no change is observable. Success has attended what is called the " back 

 and front " game in mixed doubles; but this depends on the ability of the lady to defend 

 the net, and of her partner by means of great activity to take charge of the whole of the 

 back of the court. ;The mixed doubles chamnionship of the Badminton Association 

 were gained in this manner by Mr. G. A. Thomas and Miss Larminie in 1911, and by 

 Mr. E. Hawthorn and Miss Hogarth in 1912. 



In 1911 Mr. G. A. Sautter won the singles: Messrs. P. D. Fitton and E. Hawthorn the 

 doubles: Miss C. Douglass and.Miss Orr the ladies' doubles. In 1912 Mr. F. Chesterton won 

 the singles; Messrs. G. A. Thomas and H. N. Merritt the doubles; Miss Cundall and .Miss 

 Gowenlock the ladies' doubles. Miss Larminie (Mrs. Tragett) in both years won the 

 ladies' singles. 



For Baseball see under " United States" below. 



Billiards. : --! 



Since the : prohibition of consecutive spot hazards and the push stroke, English 

 professionals have relied chiefly upon the top-of-the-table game. An innovation, how- 

 ever, was introduced in 1911 by George Gray, a young Australian, who repeatedly 

 made huge breaks by means of a series of losing hazards from the red ball. In all, he 

 scored twenty-four breaks of four figures, of which the highest was 2,196. Gray 

 invariably declined to play matches with ivory balls, and these breaks were not made 

 under Billiard Association rules. H. W. Stevenson, though not at his best during this 

 season, beat M. Inman twice for the championship of the Billiards Control Club. 



In January 1912 George Gray met Stevenson and defeated him in two games out of 

 three of 18,000 up. M. Inman beat T. Reece for the Billiards Control championship. 



H. A. O. Lonsdale did not defend his title of amateur champion, and the cup reverted in 

 1911 to H. C. Virr. An alteration was made in the arrangements, the champions of England, 

 Ireland, Scotland and Wales meeting in competition in the finals. 



H. C. Virr beat Major Fleming by only sev.en points in 3,000 for the amateur champion- 

 ship in 1912. The influence of Gray's example was plainly perceptible in this competition 

 in the use made of the losing hazard. A break of 1016 made by Stevenson in October 1912, 

 in the course of a match with W. Cook, is the highest yet recorded as having been achieved 

 without series of spot strokes, anchor cannons, or long successions of losing hazards. 



Bowls. 



In the summer of 1912 a visit to England was made by a representative team from 

 New South Wales, which won 30 matches out of 54 played. They were very strong on 

 fast greens in sunny weather, but were unable to do themselves justice, when, during the 

 latter part of their tour, rainy days and dull grounds became the rule rather than the 

 exception. In the international matches Scotland won against Ireland and England, 

 and England lost also to Ireland. A large extension of bowls as a club game, and of 

 club and county matches, has recently been noticeable. 



Boxing and Pugilism, 1 



Though boxing is cultivated in many English public schools, and has been encouraged 

 in the British army and navy, with the result that it is more generally practised and 

 appreciated at present than ever before, the standard of skill in England would appear 

 to have fallen rather than risen in the past few years. The same thing is true of pro- 



J See also under " United States " below. 



