The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1914-05-27
OFFICIAL. PAPER OF cnoUrEAU COUNTY
BASEBALL AND DIPLOMACY

trouble may possibly be effected by
the mediation conference, it is sug-
gested by the Muscular that baseball
has a more pacifying influence than
diplomacy. This view of the matter
certainly deserves consideration. If
it could be arranged, for instance, that
the rival factions in Mexico settle
their differences by contests on the
diamond instead OF by butchering
thousands of their fellow citizens on
the battle field, there would be a bene-
ficent contribution to the cause of
humanity.
The subject is presented by the Mis-
soulian optimist in these entertaining
remarks:
There was a dandy little story we'll
down toward the bottom of the sports
page of The Muscular yesterday
morning. 1t was the story of a base
ball game in Vera Cruz. The con-
tending teams-as you know if you
read the story-were from the United
States army and the natives of the
city. The stands were filled and from
the nearby roofs came the cheers of
hundreds of Mexicans, al they watch
ed the progress of the game.
1t is only a few days since from
those same roofs the Mexican "snip-
ers" were firing bullets at our SOL
diers; the sound which came from
them was the ping of the rifle in
stead of the cheer OF II rooter. And
the crowd was happy as it watched
the game where, but a short time be.
fore, it had been sulfen and ugly.
Making due allowance for the mer-
curial nature of the Mexican DISPOSE
ton, this story furnishes a fine H.
l%ustration of the value of clean sport
in general and of the benefit of base
ball in particular. 1t is the greatest
leveler in the world-this baseball
game. 1t is a orner stone in the
structure of democracy, a bulwark in
the building of the brotherhood of
man.
We are used to reading of employer
and employee sitting together ant
cheering at a baseball game. A Nigh
ty good story last month told of a de
tective sitting out a game with a man
IN Idu SOuSll, dIlIu pei 49, " "SSHo
But here we have the spectacle OF
contending foes in warfare, forgetting
their animosities and getting &C
uuainted through the medium of base
ball.
In the Philippines the game OF base
ball has been helpful in civilizing the
wild tribe. They have found in thi:
game a vent for their ebullient spir
its and have turned their war erie:
into yells Of the roOter. There have
been some strong baseball teams de
veloped in Japan. Honolulu has
good city league. And now, in Mex
leo. our national game is followin,
close upon the flag and is doing
lot more than the constitution to maxi
the natives understand what we ar
and what we want.
It's a great scheme. this use o
baseball as a pacificating influence
1t possesses possibilities which no
many of us have realized. When W
are packing up munitions of wal
hereafter, we shall do we'll to pre-
vide our troops with baseballs as wei
as bullets, with bats as we'll as bay
0nets, with mits as we'll as maxims
And the baseball will 60 farther tha1
the bullet as a civilizing influence.
There is a human-interest touch t
that story which was telegraphe
from Vera Cruz Sunday night, whic
will give it permanent place in til
noteworthy Jews items of the veal
The more you think of that baseball
game, the more you marvel at it. TIL
more you consider its strange settin
and the character of its participant
the more you wonder at it. 1t wa
a great tribute to the worth of til
national game. One of these day
everybody will be playing it and the
the brotherhood of man will be full
established.
MONTANA'S FlFTlETH BiRTHOA