Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-03
EXPENSIVE WAR PROBABLE
HanlOn's Opinion of the American
Leagues Attitude.

1T has me guessing, for sure" said
President Edward Hanlon yesterday when
asked what he thought of the reported ac-
ton of President Ban Johnson and the
American League In severing relations with
The National Base Ball League.
Il free to confess he continued
that ] can see no adequate motive to i'm
pei the western men to take so dangerous
a step and one that may cause severe loss
10 both organizations. l have not heard of
any grievances that the American League
men have against the National League
Except that Hart, so far, has not consented
To allowing them to put American
League in Chicago. 1 seq reason why
that could not be at1icabiy adjusted, and
even if Hart continues to refuse the
Western League has prospered without
Chicago, ana it seeRs too small a matter
% precipitate "a base ball WARRIOR that is
just what il means, provided the report is
correct and the western men persist in
their course. -. Z" \ ...... -.f B
81 have been trying to reason out what
Pan Johnson's object nay be in the mat
ter and l fail to understand it, unless it is
one of two things. He may merely be
biuifing to force the National League to
allow him to enter Chicago and, perhaps,
get other concessions. or it may be that he
is making this play m the interest of the
National League to stall of opposition
from some real rival. Johnson has always
been a national agreement man, and he
may he aiding the National League, instead
OF fighting it. He may be getting up fake
opposition in order to lead off the real OBJ
ponents Of the national body. and then
come back to the fold at the laat moment.
Il confess that Johnson is not the man
likely to do any such thing, but 1 am mere
Iy specializing on possible motives. If the
story is correct and Johnson in earnest, l
am afraid it will throw base ball affairs
into bad tangle. 1 do not believe the
public wants or would stand a base ball
at inn iS cd TO Inn
prove the base ball situation is not war.
but wise management and unSeltish, con-
certed action by all for the best interests
of the game. OF course, some reorganiZa-
ton will be necessary before the ten-year
agreement expires in order to fix the status
of affairs after that time but a war will
not help matters and it is too soon to be-
gin reorganization just now.
Il believe a war now would be unfor-
tuRate for all. Il would require the spend
ing of great sums of money, the public
would become tired and disguised, and the
probable result. no matter which league
had the better Of it, would be heavy losses
by both, leaving the owners exhausted
from the struggle, base ball in mess, the
public Disguised and nobody benefited.
One certain result of a war would be
that the National League would at once
give up all thought of abandoning Balti-
more and Washington and it is highly
probable the circuit would be composed of
tw elve clubs. as at present. The National
would probably invade the territory of its
rival and put opposition clubs in cities now
held by the American. 1t would go after
the rival league and harass it in every way.
1t would be war to the knife. as matter
OF necessity. The National League would
never think for moment of allowing a
rival to take undisputed possession of such
valuable territory as Baltimore"
Mr. Hanlon IS still of the opinion that
baltimore will be in the National League
circuit whether the war comes or not, and
also that Baltimore will be in a major
ganiZ2tion when the reorganization comes
after the ten-year agreement, whether these
be one or two base ball bodies of the first
class. He seems to think there may be
two such bodies, something like the old
league and association.