Jenuary 12, 19406.

NEA Service, Ince,
1200 West Third Ste,
Cleveland, Chics

Dear Jerry:

I was in Chicago when your letter was written, but
oe ee Oe ee Oe Ee Se Oeeey ES yee Nee.

Wie Shs pilleen idty 't Gonstitey teahatied3 kne gue ahead
so repidly is that basketball is played in all the high
- gehools and colleges, and the boards of education of our
“Sehools in the United States are the real amateur sports

promoters of Americas :

, ss sialic Sinead Un tnd i's, cae ot he
equipment of a school building, and there is so little
maintenance and upkeep to the basketball court. ‘The
-' janitors of the school building keep the playing floor
_ in shape, and basketball is a sport in which very little |

expensive equi, is needed. Sneakers and a gyn shirt
are about all % is necessary as equiyment to play |
basketballe nt

a ae nll thi athe sl wu ea Giee
tall fellow, one little fellow, and a couple of mediu
sized fellows and you have the ideal combination for a
good basketball team and a medley relay. |

“The fact that eighteen million people play basket-
ball is due to the fact that the Y.i.C.A. secretaries and
‘physical directors went out of Springfield into all parts —
of the world and taught basketball to the populace. Fifty~ —
two netions are playing basketball today. You doubtless
know that over eighty million people attend basketball in
the United States. This is fran the bulletin of the Ue. 5.
Department of Commerce, so it is authentic. Sixty million
attend baseball and about forty million attend football.
So you see basketball is played by more people than any
other game and it is attended by more people than any other
GANG. 7