Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-20
BASE BALLC0NFERENCE
Delegates at Cincinnati Still
Trying for Peace.
NEW YORK TROUBLE
sNkTIoNAI LEAGUE WOULD Nm
AMERICAN OUT.
Extra Effort VIII Be Made to Reach
an. Agreement This After
noon.

CINCINNATI, Ohio, January 20.-After
being In session until almost O'Clock this
morning members Of the National Base
Ball League held early conferences pre-
paratory to the session today. AS it is nec-
essary for President Pulltam and Mr.. Drey-
fus, who represents both P1ttsburg and
Philadelphia at the meeting. and other
members to be in attendance at court In
Philadelphia tomorrow morning, 1t was de-
SIRED from the outset to make every posi-
Bile effort for some solution today OF the
pending disagreement. After being In ses-
sion ndne hours yesterday afternoon and
last night the league, sitting as a commit
tee OF the whole so as to avoid contempt OF
court, concurred in seven OF the sections IN
the articles Of agreement that were adopted
at the Joint conference of the National and
American committees January 10. II was
supposed that there would be no objection
to the sections passed upon, but the vote
stood six to two throughout. The New
York and Brooklyn clubs voted against
them because they were incorporated IN an
agreement to which they were strongly op-
posed as a whole, although they would
otherwise fully concur in each OF the seven
propositions, which referred to contracts,
reserve rule, advance money, schedules,
rules, national agreement between major
and n1dnor leagues, etc.
Sitting as Committee Of the Whole.
The league, sitting as a committee of the
whole did not consider the nine sections OF
the joint agreement in their order, but left
the third and fifth to the last. Almost all
of the session last night was devoted to
consideration Of the fifth section. which de-
scribes the circuits Of the American and
National leagues, respectively. and here the
fight was on the admission OF an American
club into New York.
The third section, which assigned the
players awarded to each club, was not
taken up at all, although 1t was Informally
considered at conferences after the adjourn
ment and again this morning. While New
York and Brooklyn were alone In the minor
ity report on all the sections heretofore con-
sidered, there was considerable doubt as to
how Boston would vote on the third and
fifth sections. In discussing the fifth sec
ton the representatives Of the New York
club are said to have at first wanted the
borough Of New York exempt from the
American League, and afterward all Man
haitian Island. But the members who had
served on the conference committee insisted
that they had done nothing to help the
American League get into New York, and
If the American club had no grounds in that
city the joint agreement would not assist
them any, and it provided for an American
franchise In that event in some other city.
Considered in Conference Committee.
It was also argued that everything had
been fully considered in the conference COM
mittee before the joint agreement was
signed by the conference committee, and
that 1t would be impossible to make any
changes or ask any additional concession
without referring the whole matter back to
the conference committee and causing such
complica tions as would probably annul all
that had been accomplished. While it was
evident that there was much feeling be-
tween some of the eastern men and the
western members when they met yesterday
1t was still more plainly observed today as
they grouped about In separate conferences.
The members of the league will be in con-
tinuous session behind closed doors today,
unless an agreement is reached earlier than
is now expected, until it is time this after
noon for President Puliam, Mr.. Dreyfus
and others to leave for the hearing of the
injunction cases at Philadelphia tomorrow
morning.
AT 1:15 pm. the base ball conference was
still in executive session. Secretary Knowles
of the New York club is authority for the
statement that the parties are getting to-
gether and will reach an agreement before
they adjourn, but no details will be made
known until an agreement is reached.