The Washington times., 1911-04-08
IDOL CONFRONTED
BY FINE OR EXILE
If Johnson Is Not National Park Wednesday and Ready
to Play He Is Likely to Be Banished From Baseball.
President Noyes Explains
BY THOMAS KIRBY.


UNLESS Walter johnson is at Ne
tonal Park ready to play Wednesday
afternoon he will be suspended by the
Washington club. the National Commits
sion will be notified. and before he can
ever again play for any team under the
rules of organized baseball he will be
TO pay a fine. The amount of the fine
will be a matter for the commission to
decide. We have made our last move,
and it is now I'D to Johnson"
This was the statement of President
Tom Noyes. of the Washington club, to-
day explaining the exact status of the
case between the pitcher and the team S
management.
'MCAleer is representing US now. but
whatever oVertures are made must
come voluntarily from the player. as
we have stated our case and the whole
matter rests there. We know we have
acted fairly throughout the negotiations;
we feel that we have the support of the
fans, and. while we greatly regret the
absence Of johnson, We can go no fur
ther If by his stand Johnson hopes to
get to some other club. he is sadly mis-
taken. Before McAleer ever gave the
orders dismissing Johnson from the
himball House and the Atlanta park 1t
was fully understood that under no con-
dition would Johnson be sold or traded
TO any baseball team in America until
he had settled his differences with U.S.
Explained First Time.
For the first time President Noyes ex-
plained TO the writer the terms on
which the trouble between player and
club hinges. When Mr.. Moves went 10
Atlanta IL was with the understanding
that he would offer Johnson $1,000. When
this failed he raised it to $500, in the
hope of getting the pitcher to change his
tactics, and it was then that Johnson
stated his case and made the remark
able demand which the club officials
unanimously agreed not TO attempt to
meet
Johnson wants an iron-clad three
year contract calling for 800 fCi the
coming season and containing an elastic
clause allowing him an increase next
year, and another in 1918. For awhile he
refused TO say just how much these in
creases would be, but when Mr.. Noyes
insisted upon some figures, johnson said
that he would demand 50, 900 in 1912 and
would insist upon $4,000 for his six
months work the following campaign.
There's where the conference ended and
Mr.. Noyes returned TO Washington.
Interest in Dispute.
Never since the advent of the Ameri-
can League into Washington has there
been any baseball topic which excited
such general interest in this city as the
dispute between Walter johnson and
the management of the Nationals
The announcement from Atlanta yes
terday morning that the greatest pitch
er in the American League had been
summarily hanished from the training
camp by Manager McAleer came with
the suddenneSS of a bolt of lightning
The suspense between the time the order
was given and the time the pitcher was
slated TO leave the Georgia capital was
trying or the fans, and the contradic-
tory reports of the late evening served
hut to intensity the anxiety of those
who patronize baseball in this city
This morning the situation was clari-
fed, in a measure. by the positive in
formation that Johnson had left for
his home in Kansas without signing
contract but until johnson reaches Cof-
feyville and actually makes some
definite plans for the future there will
he few who will be satisfied that the
player is sincere in his stand to pass
up Sc, 500 because the club will not ac-
coed to his demand for an elastic con-
tract with raising scale of salary for
three years.
Sentiment Is Sounded.
The series of interviews in The Wash
ington Times yesterday with men promi-
nent in almost every profession and
trade, who are enthusiastic followers
of the Nationals created much discus
sion. The vast majority of fans ap-
peared to strongly indorse the clubs
position, but there were many who dis
scented and took the Johnson side of the
controversy.
The vast majority of reasonable fans,
however, oppose Johnson's claims on
the logical grounds that for the Wash
ington club TO accept the players pro-
posal would be the poorest of, business
policies. The owners of the franchise
hare have attempted something that Is