New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-27
Baseball War Just Averted
Would Have Rocked
Game to Foundation.
LESSONS LEARNED
IN MARATHON SWIM
Davis Cup Committee Shows
Good Judgment in Selection
of the American Team.
By HERBERT.


Baseball war. like n summer thun-
dercloud. doomed black and threaten
ING last week. \ crash or two Of words
from the strident Ban B. hurtied DaeA
and forth; then il all blew over. Inc
arrogant car Of the American League,
with his twenty-five thousand year
practically for life, could afford 10
shout defiance and blithely offer TO
close the parks for the purpose OF
bringing the players 10 his feet. But
others, equally bold but with more at
stake and eminently fairer, averted
strike which would have rocked base
ball TO its foundation.
II looked for a day as If Dave Fultz,
the Mrs. Pankhurst of rights for play
crs." and the fat and chOleric president
O. the American League had invented
new game called Taking sides 1t
promised to be fascinating little
game. too. full OF wise saws, modern
institutes and blatant words. Clarence
Kraft. the indirect cause of II all, was
no longer a player with ambition and
2 grievance. but baseball principle TO
fight for. Ii is quite possible that ne
Is a better principle than a player.
Fortunately, however. Charles H.. Eo-
bets, born diplomat, Strengthened out
the tangle on his own initiative IN
spite of Ban Johnson by doing the
only fair thing purchasing Kraft cut
RICH; from Nashville and thus remov-
ing the fy from the ointment.
There are two sides to every ques-
ton. but in this case, at least from my
point of view. organized baseball was
in the wrong and the board of direct
ors of the Players Fraternity in the
right. II was a distinct victory for
the PLAYERS. and if they do not take
I'D arms against the powers that be at
any time in the future for less wor-
thy cause they will keep on getting
the verdict. Strict government Is nee
essary in baseball. but not at the eX-
pense of the governed. The National
Commission has been as wise as Solo
mon in many OF its rulings. but the
National Commission is made up OF
humans. one at least of whom has the
unhappy faculty of saying. az times,
the slliest words and doing the stupid
est thing. Ban Johnson has proved
himself a wonderful organizer. man
OF keen baseball acumen, but there are
GAYS when he needs a muzzle.
ANYWAY. the furry is over, so that
the fans and the players can go back
md devote all their interests and en-
ergies 10 the diamond and continual
ton of two close and hard fought pen
Tant races.
Mere humans. made OF flesh and
blood. have their limitations, but 1t
would seem as if there was no limit TO
the remarkable endurance, muscular
energy and nerve force of those four
hardy swimmers who battled their way
from the Battery 10 Sandy Hook in the
Tribune Marathon Swim, one week ago
YESTERDAY. Surely j. was as close 70
the miraculous as faltering flesh can
go and the amazing part OF 1t all was
that not one of the four showed the
least sign of extreme exhaustion or
even of unusual WEAKNESS. | myself
helped rub down Fred II. James, VINO,
in spite of fifty years of age, swan
within half a mile of the Hook before
leaving the water, and IN less than nVe
minutes he was as clipper ana as much
interested in the success OF the others
as any man on the launch. HIS heart
action was as regular as when ne TOOK
the water and he showed not the faint
est sign of distress.
There is a lesson in all this. When
thirteen-year-old boy, Eddie Snyder,
of Brooklyn. and ffty-year-old man
can swim without rest for seven or
eight hours part Of the way against
lowing tide and battling currents 1t IS
reasonable TO believe that there is some
magic power in swimming that makes
for development without the danger oil
extreme exhaustion. A better or more
healthful sport does not exist.
week has passed since George Nee,
han. Sam Richards, Walter Dunn and
Charles Durborow reached Sandy Ho'S
from the Battery on one tide and &C
complished something so many others
have tried. but with two exceptions
failed. This is my first opportunity
however. to comment on the wonder OF
II all or 10 thank those who iron
pure love of the sport did so mucn &c
make the swim pronounced success
] was particularly impressed with the
fairness and good feeling of the swi m
mers themselves. Not once did a com
petitor have 20 be warned against tab
ing some unfair advantage; not once
was a voice raised in criticism, despite
some discomforting situations .oa'
possibly might have been avoided
Never have | seen better lot o.
sportsmen, truer lot of striving a.h
letes. Their fairness and good spirit
more than made amends for any et-
forts expended in arranging and car