Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-19
INVADERS ARE
DUE TO EXPLAIN
FUTURE OF ATHLETIC CLUB IN
BALANCE
Local Sportsmen Seek Knowledge of
Connection Between Promoters
of New Institution and
Fight Trust ir
BY Jay Davidson

llelu DyS lne rTlSCO IlSnI trust Has yet
to become a reality, the affair at Chutes
park Saturday night clearly demon
strating an utter lack of enthusiasm
for the venture that was wholly un-
expected by the promoter.
The attempted invasion has been con-
Quoted upon very awkward and inauS-
picious plans. The prime mover in the
plans and the commanding general of
the invaders is Morris Levy, who re-
sides at Frisco and admits thai he is
one of the three members of the fight
trust.
Levy came to Los Angeles and or
ganized the Arcadia Athletic club and
gave to the world the information that
he was acting merely in an advisory
capacity for local sportsmeh who de-
sired to set up rival club to the
Pacific Athletic club.
Levy says that six .Angelenos are in
terested with him in the venture and
that his associates are among the best
and wealthiest citizens of the city, Yet,
though vouched for by Levy as being
true SportSmen, they prefer to remain
in the background.
The fight fans are suspicious that the
new club is a branch or the fight trust
and confirmation of their suspicious
would be sufficient to kill the project
in the bud.
Lack of confirmation of these sus-
picions will not suffice to secure sup
port for the venture. The promoters
who seek the support of the Los An
geleS fight fans to make the PROPOSE
ton a paying one are placed in the
position of being forced to deal the
cards on the square and come out into
the limelight of public inspection with
cleai15 hands and lay bare real facts
which will clear them of the well-de-
fined suspicion.
Some Real Facts
The real facts are these: Local sports
mer will not support game which is
believed to be established for the pur-
pose of aiding the Frisco fight trust
in introducing Frisco fight methods in
Los Angeles and put out of business
the local independent club which has
always been conducted upon a basis OF
clean sport
Neither will they support a club
which is owned, controlled or managed
by anyone connected with the fight
trust and which it is believed has for
ITS sole purpose the death Of the local
Independent club or to bring the local
game into disrepute and final elimina-
ton in the interest of the fight trust.
Neither will they support a club
which comes unbidden, unheralded ana
unknown. If the club exists and pros
pers from the income derived from the
support of local sportsmen 1t must be
conducted upon Los Angeles methods
and be owned, controlled and managed
by local sportmen in whom the public
has confidence and who will so conduct
the venture that it will aid In promot-
ing and continuing the sport.
Regardless of how harsh these condi-
tions seem, the eXigencies of the occa-
sion demand them. They constitute the
value received in exchange for the sup
port of the public which the club must
acquire to become a success.
There naycbe room in Los Angeles
for two, four, six or eight clubs, but
there is no room for one that does not
work tremendously with the element
which must lend the support necessary
to make it a success.
Rule or Ruin Policy
The suspicion is deep rooted that the
Arcadia Athletic club is a branch of
the Frisco fight trust and that it in
vades the local field for the sole pur-
pose of ruling or running the local
game. "
This naturally arouses the antagon- |
ism of that element which supports the |
game and it is this element of sports |
men who must be shown" and con-
WINGED before the venture is accorded
decent support.
Every fan who believes in fair play |
extended to the new club the courtesy |
of indifference and neutrality after the
promoters had invested in the new
club to the extent of several hundred
dollars and withheld the promptings |
for open rebellion until it had pulled
off it's first fight, solely to permit the
promoters to pull OUT on their in
VeStment.
With due notice, which must be ac-
cepted as given in the fact that the |
paid attendance upon the Saturday |
night fight was ridiculously small as
compared with the attendance at other
similar events at the rival club, that |
future events under the auspices of
this club will not be given support
until the public is assured that the
promoters are local sportsmen and will
aid in supporting the game, the next
venture gives every promise OF being
even more frosty than was the Satur-
day night affair.
With full knowledge of the condi-
tons in Los Angeles, Levy and his as
sociates, must accept the consequences
of future ventures here. Los Angeles
sportsmen are jealous of the game
here and have conducted it upon
plane that has withheld severe criti-
cism in the past.
Naturally, they will not only support
but will not tolerate interference by
invaders unless this interference Is of
a friendly nature and the invading
crew will convince the public that they
are friends and not enemies 10 lne
sport.
If local sportsmen want another
athletic club in competition with the
Pacific Athletic club an entirely diff
ferent proposition is presented. 1t
would naturally work in harmony with
the rival club and aid in promoting
the sport.
While there is no demand for an
other such club, another local institu-
tion prorIoted by sportsmen who are
known to the fans as more interested
in promoting the game than otherwise
would be accorded it's share of the
patronage and support.
Until the advent ofiathe new club
there had been no serious complaint
against the game. Simultaneous, with
the announcement of the plans of the
new club began warfare and politics
were played for and against it,
AS If to stimulate the dormant op
position to the sport, which had been
of al tolerant nature in the past be-
cause the exhibitions had been con-
5,,otAd ~, on honest haSiS and in n