The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-26


 Baseball follows the flag. The na- tional game of the United States has spread to far-distant countries within the last few years. says sam Crane. in the New York American, and now the grand outdoor sport is firmly estab- lished in the Philippines, Sandwich Is lands, Porto Rico, Cuba, and, in fact, everywhere that the husky, hearty, sport-loving officers, tackles and ma rines of the United States navy have so gallantly and boldly carried the Stars and Stripes. Where Old Glory waves there will be found baseball.
 It is a game that appeals to all peo- ples that are blessed with red blood and are progressive.
 The Japanese are nothing if not pro gressive, and even with their country in the throes of disastrous war, they have found time to devote attention to our national game, and only few days ago Iso Abe, young Japanese coke gian, issued challenge to Stanford un- iversity, of California, for a match game between teams of a Japanese uni versity and Stanford. And, more than all. the Japs want to come to California to play the game. That in itself shows the youthful Japs have the inborn cour- age and confidence of their elders. It is said that Stanford will accept the def of Iso Abe. and will arrange for the match at once. It should prove most interesting contest, and will mark a red-letter day in the history of the game. It will be a sensational era in the life of the sport. and, in fact, that oi all athletic sports.
 Baseball is also fiourishing in South Africa. The Transvaal Leader a, pro gressive newspaper, has taken up the sportand publishes full scores of games and records of players. There is a South African Baseball association, and the players of the different teams can hit the ball, even if they have not yet attained the accuracy and agility in fielding that their American cousins have reached. According to the Trans vaal Leader out of thirty-seven bats men who figure in the official record from July l to October 8, twenty-three of them batted over three hundred per cent A player named Suter, of the Wanderers, was the Lajoie of the league and he made our own ''Larrup- ing Larry's" record of 1881 look like a bush league mark. Suter's batting per centage was .535.
 The second batter to Suter was Hotchkiss, also of the Wanderers, who walloped out base bit every other time at bat, making his average 800 per cent. That the baseball writers out in the Transvaal have grasped the American style of reporting games is shown by the following comment in the Leader: "The diamond was very hard, and as a consequence the ball ire quently wore whiskers, as some of the infielders can testify"
 Wonder what the Africans would do with Rube Waddell and the ,Chesbre spit ball? They are liable to see them all right, too, for both are cratic.
 South Africa being an English posses sion, the fact that baseball has taken such strong hold there is somewhat surprising, for Britons, wherever found, look upon the great American game as a direct infringement on the sporting rights as established by cricket. Tt is only an offshoot of our old rounders, ? they are wont to say, and that ancient game is about on the level of lone old ca.' and sharnbaN.'
 Englishmen are extremely conserva- tive about their sports especially of cricket, which Is considered their ma tional game and in their own stanch little island they have always pooh pooed baseball. But when the Briton gets away from home influences Ie be comes an ardent admirer of the Ameri- can game, and is loud In his praise of the sharp fielding it develops.
 Tn Canada. South Africa and Austra- lia where there is more hustling and time is more valuable than in the staid old mother country, the quick action, liveliness and all-around .hustling of baseball that give a result in couple of hours is fast becoming more popular with the colonials than cricket, that re- quires as many days to arrive at a de- cision.
 great strides have been made in base ball in the Sandwich Islands Honolu- lu is the headquarters just now, but the game is fast spreading tHother To- calities. The game has been played in the Sandwich Islands for many years, but it was not until the United States was given possession that it flourished Tn the reign of King Kalakaua mines from the officers, jackies and marines of the United States warships that wis tied the islands played in Honolulu ire. quently, and several native teams were formed, among them being quite a few very capable players.
 had brother on the old United States frigate Vandalia that was after. ward lost at Samoa, and he was the catcher on the Vandalia team. The old ship stopped at Honolulu frequently in the eighties and the ball nine invariably had it's game there on those visits The natives took to the game very quickly and soon learned to enjoy it. They welcomed every arrival of the Vandalia with loud demonstrations of joy, and there was a general holiday whenever game was played
 The players of the ships team were entertained lavishly and given the free dom of the city. That was twenty years ago, and to-day there is an or ganized league and a regular cham =a,s T 1 = FrF- IV