from the standpoint of interest, nationwide representation, standard
of play and financial results. ;

The tournament at Merion Cricket Club was a distinct success.
It was held during the week of July 4th, the finals being played on
Saturday, July 9th. The courts were in excellent condition, the
weather was ideal, and the players and spectators enthusiastic. Due
to the qualifying system there were only seventy-six entries in
singles and thirty-two teams in doubles, but each of the players
had, through the qualifying tournaments, already proved his right
to compete, with the result that even the first round matches were
closely contested, with the calibre of play extremely high. The
semi-finalists in singles were Lewis Wetherell of the University of
Southern California, Morey Lewis of Kenyon College, Robert Har-
man of the University of California, and Frank Guernsey, Jr. of
Rice Institute; the finalists were Guernsey and Lewis, and the
winner was Guernsey of Rice Institute. The semi-finalists in
doubles were McNeill and Lewis of Kenyon College, Murphy and
Murphy of the University of Chicago, Hunt and Wetherell of the
University of Southern California, and Kamrath and Weller of the
University of Texas; the finalists were McNeill and Lewis, and
Hunt and Wetherell, and the winners were Hunt and Wetherell of
the University of Southern California.

Financially, the final event at Merion was a success, resulting in
a net balance of $302 which was applied as rental for the grand
stands. A detailed financial statement is attached to this report.

With respect to the conduct of the event at Merion, there appears
to be only one debatable question and that is whether the tourna-
ment be conducted on grass or clay. In the preliminary discussions
held during the Fall of 1937, it was unanimously felt that clay
should be the surface used, because all college matches are played
on a hard surface, and that with the exception of the West Coast
practically all college matches are held on clay, and that the use of
clay for the Intercollegiate Championship is merely providing the
players with approximately the same surface on which they have
conducted their Intercollegiate matches. It is interesting, however,
to realize that many of the players prefer grass surface, even though
they have had no preliminary opportunity for practice.

For 1938 the N.C. A. A. committee, in addition to the chairman,
was composed of three representatives from each of the eight dis-
tricts, with the exception of the Eighth District and in that case
four representatives. The chairman has addressed a questionnaire
to each of these individuals, seeking some guidance on the debatable
matters. Of the twenty-five questionnaires, replies have been re-
ceived from twenty-two. In the matter of grass versus clay for the
final event, twelve of the twenty-two expressed a preference for
clay, nine for grass, and one was in favor of rotating both the
location and the surface. Three favoring grass are from the Eighth
District, and the reason therefor is that inasmuch as West Coast
colleges do not play on clay, grass, being a neutral surface for all
colleges, is therefore a fairer surface.

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