The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-11-12
NHTlONAL
SPORTING. CLUE. LONDOr

Special Gable 10 The Tribune.
LONDON. Nov. ll.-Hogs of the hu.
man variety abound in the guild Of
prizofight promoters in London, the
same as in New York
After many excuses have been cabled
the real reason why the Jack Johnson.
BON bardier Wells fight did not come
off is out at last. The hogs did it.
The unexpected strength Of public
opinion which grallied to the support
of the original opponents Of the John.
SON. Wells match. and which ultimately
prevailed upon the home office TO stop
the proposed fight, is giving the Ma
tional Sporting club and ali others in
terested in the game on this side of the
Atlantic MANY sleepess nights. lest
boxing be abolished. Despite the fact
that those who were responsible for the
abandonment of the big fight dis.
claimed any desire TO interfere with le-
gitlmate boxing, there are many we'll
informed sports who believe that the
game will soon be killed here very
much as it was killed In New York
some years ago by the indiscretion Of
one promoter.
White Wanted Too Much.
Undoubtedly James White. the En-
fated johnson Wells contest, was him
self TO blame for the ultimate action
Of the home office.
Hugh Mcintosh and Jimmy Britt pro
NOTED series of heavyweight contests
in London that were much more widely
advertised than the Johnson Wells
match. The English newspapers and
magazines were full Of the Langford
fight for weeks and weeks before the
meeting of the two men The fight
was between a black man and white
man, both Of whom were contendeTs
for the heavyweight championship OF
the world. And the purse advertised
WAS far in excess of anything that had
ever before been hung up in England.
Mcintosh. from the very day he start.
ed operations in England, was fearful
Of public protest that would assume
such proportions as TO compel him 10
abandon his activities. yet serious
protest never came.
What was the secret Of his lmmun.
ity3
II was simply that the Australian
bad learned the lesson Of when to keep
his mouth shut. Parsons and others
protested against his fights. but Me-
Intosh ignored them and the protests
petercd out On the other band. White,
who was an absolute amateur IN the
fight-promoting game lost his head
when the Rev f. r. Never attacked
the johnson Wells match from his pull
nit and began talking, He Immediate.
ly became involved in controversy
with the reverend protester, who
traightway looked for the support of
the rest of the ministry in his fight.
Ultimately the protest became so wide
spread and powerful that Winston
Churchill, shrewd politician that he is,
could do nothing else but move in the
matter.
Object Lesson for Promoters.
If the whole thing has done nothing
else. II has provided an object lesson
for future promoters on 50 low not to
conduct fight White 5 efforts
from start 10 finish were worthy of
Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera. His
experiences demonstrate tho fact. of
which he was evidently densely ignor.
ant that promoting "a prizcfight is
business like any other and requires
special qualifications and knowledge.
In tho first place he tried TO riin the
tight involving small fortune in
purses and expenses and catering for
l5.on0 people. front bed. sitting room
in the Midland Grand hotel London.
where he lived. He was fortunate in
securing ihc 90 operation Of Hal Lewis
Que of the McIntosh camp. who knows
morr abont the fight game than al
most any other man in England hut
he was unfortunate in not dclegating
20 him the entire management Of the
whole thing. aside from the financial
affairs. which arc Whites especial
forte.
Johnson Had His Way
Johnson insisted upon signing the
articles governing tho proposed fight
in the office Of one ot the London
Sporting dailies. tho editor of which
wns close friend of tho black, White
foulishly agreed 10 this. despite the
fact that they, could have been signed
in his bcdroom. The consequence was
| that a rival nspcr Immediately camc
out in opposition to the match on tho
grounds that WelIs didu Z have pos.
sble chance, and carried its opposition
TO such n length that its editors wrote
10 the editors of nil the Important
newspapers in the country asking them