Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-16
Johnson Declares
War on Murphy.

Chicago, Feb 15.-"The American
League has declared war" said Ban
johnson SATURDAY. We, will stop at
nothing 10 eliminate the present man
agement of the Chicago National
League club from organized baseball.
1T is, to my mind, essential that
President Tener of the National
League and Garry Hermann, presi-
dent of the National Commission, be
clothed with absolute authority to re-
move from the National League any
club owned held to be n detrment to
tho game.''
Johnson. reused by Charles w Muir
phys threat to take legal action against
him. today broke the silence which he
has maintained since the joint league
conference in New York, and outlined
his plan to maintain Between the major
leagues the good understanding which,
he asserted, was menaced by the present
conduct of the Cubs. The American
League. he intimated was prepared to
go the length OF changing the national
agreement or of favoring the formation
of another major league.
q am clothed with absolute power by
the American League to remove any club
owner who is regarded as detrimenteto
the organization, declared johnson. THE
heads OF the National League should
have the same power. At my meeting in
New York with Hessrs Tener. Herr
mann. Baker. Dreyfuss and three Or four
others, l told them that if the National
League could not control this diseordant
element here in Chicago. the American
League would no longer he able to Goye-
tail with their organization
THE side agreement attached to the
contract provided that Evers.rlight be
dropped at 10 days notice. but Evers
signed without reading it. We can't af-
ford to betray the confidence of a bah
player in that manner
This is the big issue in baseball now.
and not the Federal League. ! think the
Federal League comes to US now as q
blessing in disguise. The American
League has set ont 70 see this matter
through and We will not fafter until II is
satisfactorily settled
THE national agreement" declared
Johnson. can. be changed at any tima by
a majority vote Of the parties interested.
1t doesn't need a unanimous vote.
LAS for Murphy's threat against me
personally" Johnson said. they are
mere vaporings. l do not reply to them,
but 1 indicate by what I have said how
far the American League is prepared to
60"
Murphy late today said he had not
heard from his lawyer in Texas on the
subject of the threatened suit against
Johnson. He reiterated, however. that
the suit would be filed.
johnson said the entire baseball
world was indignant that Evers should
be dropped a few days before the team
started on its training trip.
Nothing could be more harmful 10
baseball" he declared. 'Evers had
just been sent South to look over
training quarters and had been com
missioned to sign a number of play
ers-men whose signatures l doubt
Murphy could have obtained without
the aid of Eyers. Then he was drop
ped at a few days notice when he
thought in perfect good faith that he
had a 5-year contract.
"Of course Evers was dropped in
accordance with the provisions of his
contract, and he should have known
what he was signing before he signed
it, But we don't want that sort of
thing in baseball. We want perfect
confidence between players, owners
and the public.
Billy Locke Witnessed the sigma
lures to Evers' contract, and he came
! to me afterward and said that Evers
was standing over trap door and did
not know 1t.