"_Collier's Magazine_ of March 24, 1934, ranked Watson as the fourth
greatest player in the world on the basis of his tournament record."
-- _Encyclopedia of Bridge_ (5th ed.)

Now, can you tell us who was number 1, 2 and 3 ?

Alas, no. If the article is available on-line, my quick search this
morning didn't find it. I did look up the likely candidates (at least
the ones who came to mind) in the Encyclopedia. and none of their bios
included any mention of that article. It may have been mentioned in
Watson's case because his playing career was cut short so sadly.

Another detail I would be interested in is: who wrote the article.

David