Evening star., 1914-10-26
FOUR ''SHOCKS" DUE
Gilmore Says He Will Arouse
Organized Base Ball Shortly.
GUARDS NATURE OF SECRET
Quartet of Surprises in Store for the
American and National
League Leaders.

annual meeting of the Federal League,
ended at the Biltmore Hotel Saturday
night, scored one forcfble point The
Independents are as exclusive and
| mysterious in their councils as the we'll
known National solons. Nothing worth
more than an agate line was announced
| officially at the close of the session. Yet
every one believes that matters of
grave Importance must have confront
| ed Gilmore and his associates to force
| a conference at such an unusual time.
At the Biltmore Hotel yesterday aft
ernoon before the western delegation
departed, James A Gilmore appeared
in a more cheerful and affable mood
than he has displayed for some time.
He seemed half inclined to become con-
| ffdential, but reconsidered. The out
i law executive was never accused of
bashfulness, but the fact that all his
old confidence had returned was in
terpreted as a sign that he had sue
ceded in at least one or two of the
! plans that prompted a war council.
The Federal League meeting was
generally interpreted as a move to-
| ward financial fertilization. Stray
hints dropped by Gilmore yesterday
verified the surmise. The president ad-
| mitted that finance had been one of the
problems which caused most worry.
but he was positive in his assurances
! that matters had been so arranged that
| the common capital would be at the
disposal of the general cause.
Not to Go Into Gotham.
Gilmore admitted frankly that his
league entertained no designs upon ad-
ditional Greater New York territory
| for the season of 1915, as frankly he
| declared that New York was the ulti-
mate design of the Federals, and that
as soon as matters could be satisfac-
torily arranged an invasion of Manhat-
! tar would ensue. He was further pin
ned down to an admission that terri
| torial revision had been one of the
; chief concerns of the late meeting
that the publicly announced standpat
policy on the present chain of cities
| was largely idle chatter.
You must give me credit, said Mr.
! Gilmore, "of having sense enough to
! secure desired circuit changes. That is
the least of our worries. 1t took the
American League nine years to get its
present circuit and official recognition
didn't it? Well, the American League
didn't have as much money or as much
! cooperation as we have in our ranks
The Federal League circuit is not as
strong or compact as it might be. but
! that will come in time.
Here is little prophecy, and if it
does not come true within the next
thirty days Manhattan newspaper men.
who have been skeptical from the start
may call me faker with my consent:
If within a month l do not hand Ban
Johnson, Garry Hermann and GOV
Tener four distinct blows that will
make them quake, then 1 quit l will
will take. 1t may be from the stand
point OF territorial change or playing
| strength or financial advantage.
Players Easy to Get.
1--WE have found absolutely no diff
Guilty in securing major league players.
Twenty at most will be all we need of
these-twenty of the caliber that have
promised to come. More than dozen
have signed Federal League contracts
already. We have no use for more
than a score. We do not propose to ILL
treat those former major league ball
players who came to US. They cannot
be cast adrift; being in the bad graces
of organized base ball, they would have
nowhere to play. But we have in our
ranks about forty players who were
never associated with organized base
ball. For these we can provide. They
can go to the minor leagues. for they
have committed no alleged offenses."
Gilmore claims that Federal League
losses during the season of 1914 were
no heavier than expected and fully JUS
titled the necessary war expenditures.
He believes that with the additional
talent his league has secured for 1915
a better showing will be made.
I'VE have eliminated one opponent
the minor league as opposed to us,
said he. You will find that both the
International League and the American
Association clubs will religiously avoid
schedule conflicts. And you will find
before next spring that lot
of National and American League club.
titled the necessary war expenditures.
II am not at liberty to let the public
citation. but in connection with the
surprises have promised for the next
month l will say that three major
league clubs have already been hard
within the last few days have killed
the pennant hopes of two National and
one American League club. If you
are a good guesser you may figure it
OUT
May Hurt Local Club.
The National League clubs to which
Gilmore referred probably are ST. Louis
and Chicago. The reported desertions
of Wingo and Perritt would seriously
affect the Cardinals. Bresnahan. who
will manage the Brooklyn Federals
next season, was Chicagos mainstay
behind the bat last year. 1t is said
further that Vic Safer is wavering to-
ward the outlaw cause. The American
League club is more of puzzle. 1t
might be either Washington or Bos-
ton. And that would involve flop by
either. Walter johnson or iris Speaker.
Neither is signed for 1915. The Fed
erals have claimed all along that John