Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
LABOR DAY MARKS OPENING
OF FALL BOXING SEASON
More Than Thirty Events Arranged for
Tomorrow, Which Means at Least
$50 Matches to Be Decided.

sudden change III G0inSS over mere. AZ
you know, this country has been dragged
into the great war and the thing that
everybody sensible has been dreading for
Years IS now actual fact. BY the
time this reaches you, probably every
nation in Europe Will be in the mess.
Sport of all kinds. which was progress
Ing SO splendidly not only in England, but
in pretty nearly every country in Europe,
has been shot to pieces. You American
people ought to feel thankful that your
country is practically immune from any
thing of the sort. You American people
are. certainly fortunate. The city here
is war-mad and the government is
enlistins 900 young men I day, and if
it goes on they will soon be calling upon
the married men. | presume my turn
will come before great while, and the
only regret l have is that ! do not know
what would become of my wife and little
ones. Well. we will not dwell upon that
any further.
The boxing game has suffered with all
the other things. Carpenter has Joined
the French Fly ing Corps, Ledeaux, Mo-
reau and the rest of the French boxers
have been called upon for active service.
In England the bulk Of our leading ath-
letes are members of some branch of the
army and have gone away to be shot al.
The principal cricket grounds. probably
the finest in the world, have been turned
into camps and gymnasiums, etc, hay
ing been grabbed by the government; also
for barracks, hospitals, etc. Here at
Dover street, in the heart Of London, we
have lost all our unmarried staff. I pre-
sumo that the great German element in
Milwaukee are as much excited as over
on this side of the Atlantic. think there
Will be very little chance OF the German
reservists ever getting back here, while
the war Is on. The various coasts on the
Atlantic have been mined and it will be
unsafe for any boat TO try and enter. 1t
Is a terrible thing and / can only sym
pathize with the poor fellows who have
got to go to the front, no matter what
side they may be on. There have been
many Americans here and some of them
had hard time getting along, that is,
getting money for their letters of credit,
etc. 1t was really funny to see some of
the rich men unable to hire a cab, be-
cause they could not get English money.
Carpenter having gone home to fight
for his country. his bout with Young
Ahearn was called off and Gunboat
Smith substituted. but later this was
called off on account of Ahearn's illness
and / doubt whether 1t will ever take
place now. 1t may be that boxing shows
will be held here after the people get
settled down, as they seem to want eX
citement. no matter what it may be. All
the American boxers who have been
stranded here have been getting along
fairly well and I think they will get
away by boat for home in the next few
weeks. 1t has been rather an unpleasant
experience for some of them. Freddie
Welsh, with his manager. Harry Pollock,
is still here and it may be possible that
Welsh will have to Join one of the regi-
ments. OF course, Pollock would be i'm
mune being an American. In that case
Welsh might never realize his ambition to
fight again to defend his worlds title.
1t Is all gamble now. The people here
do not realize the enormity of the thing.
1 understand, however, that Welsh is en-
deavoring to get back to America and 1t
is possible he may succeed before being
called to army service. If he does, you
will probably have him against his old
rival Ad Wolgast, and he told me Just
a short time ago that he would be Will
ing to meet Willie Richie again in Mil
waukee i ma ten-round contest Ath-
letics, which were booming here for
time and also in France, Germany and
Sweden, are a thing of the past for the
time being. and it may be that some of
the worlds greatest athletes will never
be able to compete again. 1t is hard to
say what the future will bring forth; SO
for the present l will bid you goodbye
and If possible will try to send some more
of my letters over to you
Boxing dope in the heavyweight divi-
sion would indicate that Gunboat Smith
and Jess Willard will have to settle the
With Jack johnson tied up in France
there is little prospect of the big col
ored fellow having whirl at the game
for some time. and when he does the
chances are good that he will be beaten.
provided man like Smith or Willard
is opposed to him. Either one will be
improving all the time. while Johnson
is going back fast. Smith holds the
white heavyweight championship of
America, and If he wants to pose as
such he will have to defend the title
against all corners. Willard is the man
who is entitled to a meeting for the
crown, having lost only by a hairline
decision in twenty rounds at San Fran
cisco May 20, 1913. Therefore, it is up
to Smith to meet Jess. If they do there
will be many laying their money on the
big fellow, for he has certainly shown
wonderful improvement the past year.
so much SO that a syndicate of New
York men, headed by Harry Frazee,
wants to obtain his services from his
manager, Tom Jones. and match him
against Jack johnson for the worlds
title. Jones has an ironclad agreement