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Show WHITE HOUSE COURTS MAY BEJEOPENED Recent Warning to Secretary Secre-tary Tumulty May Result in Tennis Being Played. WASHINGTON, Sept. 22. There is a "good news" rumor around the White house these days. It is possible that permission will soon ue granted for the resumption of tennis playing on the White house courts. The recent illness of Joseph P. Tumulty, Tu-multy, secretary to the president, ascribed by his physician, Dr. Gary N. Grayson. U. S. N., to twelve years of overwork and lack of sufficient exercise, exer-cise, has revived the subject of playing tennis on the famous old courts, where Secretary of the Treasury MeAaoo and Miss Wilson, the president's daughter, did much of their f courting. " ; The courts have been closed since war was declared by order of Secretary Tumulty, Tu-multy, who said he did not think it seemly while the country was preparing for a great struggle that there should be public fcmoisement on the White house grounds. . It is not yet settled whether Mr. Tumulty Tu-multy will allow the playing of tennis to be resumed on the courts. Strong pressure is being brought to bear on him to do so, particularly by attaches of the state department, and others : whose work calls them into the neigh-l neigh-l borhood of the White house offices I from day to day. These players, im-1 bued with the modern idea of keeping physically fit by plentiful exercise, are urging Mr. Tumulty to take care of his health in accordance with his physician physi-cian 's instructions, with one eye open to the opportunity for themselves to play on what have been regarded at times as one of the finest sets of tennis courts in and around Washington. 1 There is some talk that Mr. Tumulty j will allow his friends among govem-j govem-j ment attaches, who have played' on the courts in the past, to play there again, Mr. Tumulty preferring to take his exercise ex-ercise in some spot more sheltered from the public eye. Many of the young workers of Washington have enjoyed : the unofficial hospitality of the White house grounds in this respect in the past, and the privilege of playing is missed this summer. The president and the members of his family have not used the tennis courts this summer. The players are plainly visible from the railings which surround sur-round the White house grounds, and the president and the members of his family fam-ily have kept themselves in retirement since the war began as much as possible. possi-ble. An interesting story is told nf the rocent visit of Mr. Balfour to Washington, Wash-ington, when he came here to head the British war commission. He challenged Mr. McAdoo to a game of tennis and the secretary of the treasury accepted, suggesting the White house courts, but the game was afterward called off for fear that tho recreation, even in the name of necest ary physical exercise, might be misunderstood by onlookers. |