The San Francisco call., 1910-05-08

Time Dishonored Ring Squabbe Likely to Do More Harm
Than Good for the Fourth of July Quarrel
By WILLIAM ]. SLATTERY

YNTIL such time as the referee for the Jeffries-
Johnson fight shall have been selected the follow
ers of the fighting game all the United States
~ Will keep on guessing to the lay of the land.
It's peculiar and delicate tangle both sides
and nobody to thoroughly understand it. OF
course the principals fuss and fume when anybody
gestS that previous understanding has been reached,
but such things have in the past these
enlightened days of the ring the main performers
porant affairs of the kind generally engineer schemes.
to which the dear public is supposed to be on. The
public pays the MOI ey and that lets ii out.
II everything on the surface is open and above
board Mr. Johnson and Mr. Berger claim it is, then
they going have tough old fight their hands
should be much opposition and remains
for the principals decide To public it looks like
an easy matter to settle i'll jig time.
OLD PLAY TIRESOME TO PUBLIC
The very fact that Johnson asks for ap
parenty is good and sufficient for Jeres make
strenuous objection to the said man and it works lust
the with the other side This old play of each
side handing bunch for the other consider gets
tresoe and weary in the end vet they work it over and
over again, year in and year out.
Of course there is danger of either calling the
fight off in the that the deadlock be broken
and the promoters name official. There is much
money in sight for either of the big fellows
dream of letting this golden opportunity slip by
the fans need have fears that they will hear
plenty of mud singing and urrah speeches from both
camps before the ring official has received his commits
sion This promises to oudo every event of the kind
save the famous Britt Nelson affair.
conducting his campaign and fighting his bat
tie Little is at all interested the controversy he is
surely acting the part of the silent member of the firm
to perfection. Up to the present time he has
dared to make suggestion while Johnson around
Possibly be acting the part of the chief adviser and
he may be in line for promotion at some future date
MANAGER" JOHNSON WILL BE BUSY
If Johnson intends look after details carefully
in addition to doing his work and acting his
trainer he's going be the busiest champion who
showed around San Francisco. Maybe he keep
right in the lmeight just long he possibly can
hut he had betfer he frf1 He
running UP against pretty stiff game this time and he
will have hard to hoe if he tackles it single
handed.
1t is limited Ill quarters that the Jeffres people
forcing johnson to show his hand In other words
they want to find out just who he is anxious to have
for the referee In the meantime It's whispered that
Jeff and Manager Berger only stang with Johnson
and that they hope to gain by catching the champion
off his guard for the time being at least
1T is rarely indeed that fighter agrees TO ac
cept named by the other especially in import
affair OF the caber of this The very fact that
rival should certain party III many instances
is enough for the other fellow promptly to OBJ
jcct to him general principles though he has
no reason for such an objection.