TO THE EDITOR OF THE "JAPAN TIMES"

    Dear Sir, - I would like to be allowed to make a detailed statement about a short paragraph which you published in your issue of the 20th September.
    The fact is true that I received from my newspaper, the Paris Journal, telegrams asking me to try to obtain for the Great International Wrestling Tournament organised yearly at the Casino de Paris the participation of two first class heavy-weight Japanese Wrestlers. The Casino de Paris, a well-known theatre, proposes to these athletes a substantial salary, which would have to be agreed upon by both parties after discussion and might be paid partly in advance. This annual tournament is the most important wrestling event in Europe. There have met courteous struggles the celebrated French wrestlers with the most formidable champions of England, America, Germany, Russia, Turkey and all countries in the world, Paul Pons, a Frenchman from the South, having remained perpetually victorious in these competitions and keeping up to now the title of champion of the world. The Japanese wrestlers having a great reputation in French athletic circles, it was natural that some of them should be friendly invited to enter our arenas.
    I have done my best to obtain acceptance of the most famous of them to participate in the next meeting, but up to now I have failed, the Tokyo Wrestlers' Association having, as you previously said, declined my overture.
    But I shall stick to it to the last, and now I ask all Japanese gentlemen interested in athletics to intervene and do their best to get two first-class champions to accept our friendly challenge. It will only be when I shall have tried in vain all possible ways to succeed that I shall believe it credible that the Japanese wrestlers as a body shrink from such an interesting meeting.
    I hereby repeat, the courteous challenge sent to Tokyo by the French wrestlers.

    Faithfully yours,
        LUDOVIC NAUDEAU,
    War correspondent of the Paris
    Journal, officier de l'instruction
    publique, senior laureate of the
    societe d' escrime a l'epee, formerly
    member of the athletic committee
    at the exhibition of 1900.

    Tokyo, 21st September 1905.