The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-21
Continued from First Page.


idea after they have been out u few days.
lie means to stop salaries and to nfiict
heavy fines upon the mu'incers. Johnson
declares there II little danger of any OF
his leagues stars deserving to the Fed
eral League, because. he says, all are tied
up By lrUnbound contracts for terms Of
years
Johnsons first move when Informed of
Ftiltz's strike ultimatum was to summon
the club presidents OF his circuit TO
conference in this city to-day. Each and
every Western magnate took the first
train. stopping long enough only to pack a
bag and to reassure the big car OF his
allegiance and to instruct him to 10 ahead
as he Thought best Then johnson 10 ated
Charles II. Bbbets and over the long dis
lance telephone handed out few in
structions to the bewildered owner OF tho
Dodgers and the Newark Indians. the lat
ter the storm centre Of the present dispute.
Upon your life." said Johnson, do not
dispose OF First Bascman Clarence Kraft
To any major league club until after
Wednesday. The American League in
tends to force showdown OF the
frDtcrnity's hand. We are prepared to
lock our parks rather than give way,
and we will keep them locked the rest of
the season IL necessary
Fultzs ultimatum fell yesterday as a
bolt from the blue. though AS announced
exclusively in The Sun. such drastic ac-
ton had been discussed for more than "a
week among the fraternity members. The
Fultz manifesto. which was addressed to
the various members of the National Com
mission. as we'll as to the several presi-
dents of the major league clubs, read as
follows:
81 have been authorized by the board OF
directors OF the Baseball Players Fra
ternlty to notify you that unless the
National Commission recedes from It's at
titude In the Kraft case and permits that
player to remain In Newark of the Inter-
national League. instead OF insisting that
he go to Nashville Of the Southern Asso-
citation. the fraternity members of the two
major leagues will go out on strike
Wednesday This notice Is final"
The ultimatum was drafted at the con-
clusion Of meeting of tho American
League Fraternity representatives with
Fultz at Long Beach on Sunday The
National League representatives, after
sounding their team mates. had sent In a
mall vote favoring such a drastic step.
| During the past week or ten days the fra
ternlty forces have been busy trying to
inclte the less exctabe members to open
mutiny. Strange meetings have been held
in club houses after games There has
been an unusual amount OF handshaklng
ana elbow rubbing among the natural
enemies OF the diamond.
This fight with the fraternity had "a
come sooner or later, and the sooner the
better" said Ban. These players say
they will strike II we do not violate or.
ganized baseball law. Well. see how Ions
they will hold out without salary. The
majority of American League players who
amount to anything are signed 10 iron.
clad contracts for terms OF years They
have to play with our league or nowhere
And IL they take foolish notions into their
I heads and walk they'll ba vIa ,<
walk In again. Every one will be fined
and his salary will he stopped while ht
idles.
81 do not know and do not care what
the National Commission or National
/ League intends doing. | do know what
| the American League will do There will
be no backing down on our side.
'fNltz is menace to the game. He has
been antagonlstc TO the National Com.
| mission ever since he took part IN the de-
| liboratons which resulted in certain con
| cession being granted the players at our
annual meeting last winter. While posinG
! as friend to organized baseball he has
dealt in secret with the Federal League II,
has made insnuations against the fairnes,
/ OF organized baseball's administrations. And
/ now he IL trying 10 stir up strife about a
/ trivial matter which. lawyer as he is-ii
| he has a grain Of horse seuSe-he knows
! has been decided justly 10y the supreme
/ court OF baseball.
THE president of the Baseball Player;
Fraternity has not dealt fairly by tn,
| National Commission and has not laborec
( in the interests OF the profession he repre-
sents. lie dragged the Hageman case into
! the courts of common law instead OF be
| fore the National Commission as he hac
/ every right to do had h. respected tn.
promises he made to us last winter
! Kraft belongs to the Nashville club ac
cording to the provisions Of the nationa
agreement. When the Brooklyn clul
| drafted him from New orleans Nashville
put in claim. That gave Nashville
! priority rights In case the player should
prove unavailable for major league ser
vice. Kraft was drafted from the South
/ ern Association under the working agree
ment as II stood last September Subse
quently that agreement was changed, /
is true. The fraternity gained a point tina
I when a player was sent back to leaGu
OF lesser classification It was neccssar!
that he pass through the waiver channel
Of all Intermediary leagues. Had that nov
agreement been in force last Scptembe
Fultz's contention that Nashville had ~
priority right over Newark would he wei
founded. But no legislation is retroactive
None knows that better than Fult2.
Under these circumstances I cannc
sec how the National Commission Coul
tolerate gracefully any further hickerin
with Fultz. Personally | shall not 20 OF
Of my way with any olive branch u
can call his strike on or call II OFF IL
all the American League cares. Ba
Johnson will never give one Inch OF groun
to any enemy who tries to press AN ur
fair advantage, which Fult2 thinks i
enjoys because OF the Federal League
Well, Mr.. Fultz will be dsllusioned b.
fore he il a week older. mark my words.
President Fultz of the fraternity CAV
out lengthy statement last night AZ