The Washington herald., 1915-01-29
CLAIM LEAGUE
Will BLOW Up
International Circuit in Bad
Shape, Says Gotham Scribe.
Feds Have Wrecked 1t.
,r,,l IL rh, M,shinrtnn HcraId.

srccisl 10 Tho Washington Herald.
! New York. Jan. 2S.-"DO not be sur
prised to hear that the international
League has decided to suspend opera.
tions indefinitely" says Joe villa in tht
New York Evening Sun. Unless a mir
acle is performed by President Edward
fG. Barrow, the announcement soon will
be made that tho league will not attempt
| To play a championship schedule this
year. and that all players who have ten
| day notices in their contracts will be re-
! leased outright. If this move becomes
necessary. and it looks like a sure thing,
more than 10 ball players will be thrown
out Of employment. primarily because
/ the Federal League has partially wreck
I cd tho Barrow circuit.
| Il learned from a reliable source yes
terday that tho International League has
| reached q crisis. The national commits
sion has boon forced to refuse FINANCIAL
assistance to the Buffalo club. ! also
gathered the interesting information that
! tho owners of three National League
! club. have declined to come to the rescue
! Of the Risuns Without new backing,
therefore, the International League will
be unable to resume business in Buffalo.
The national commission gave $4,000 to
| this unfortunate club In 1915, but a barrel
I Of money was lost as a result OF compc-
! tition with the Buffalo Feds.
| Tho war has killed baseball in Can
| ada so that the Toronto and Montreal
| clubs face sure disaster If they start the
| season. The Toronto club. hitherto the
| leagues bulwark. lost $4,000 last year,
: while Montreal was even worse off. The
! Jersey city club is bankrupt and there
seems TO he little or no chance to shift
! that franchise to Syracuse.
over in Newark the Eb5ets-
combination finished $4,000 behind last
SEASON. Already there is public clamor
! for an invasion of Newark by the Feds.
so that it looks as if the Brooklyn mag
mates II they attempted another campaign
I will find many obstacles in their path.
Baltimore already has been abandoned
+ by the International League and Jack
Dunn has moved down to Richmond.
Providence and Rochester are the only
clubs In the Barrow circuit which are in
/ prosperous condition. but the PrOvi-
: 1enCe players, ! hear. have organized a
strike for higher salaries. which is said
to be annoying their generous employer,
Joseph J. Lannin. President Barrow has
been trying for some time to mend his
: fences. but he is meeting with so little
announcement from the big league men
that he is said to have grown discour-
aged.
During the recent gathering of organ
lied baseball leaders in Chicago the In
tcrna;iunal Leagues future was widely
discussed. the opinion prevailing that it
would be a wise move to shut up shop
during the coming season rather than
! run the risk of wrecklng the circuit. So
1t is we'll to keep your ear to the ground
This report was scarcely two hours old
/ when President Barrow, of the Interna-
tional League. gave out the following
statement in New York:
We will play with a siX-club league
before we will retire from the game.
want to deny also that the International
League has any intention of going out
Of business now or at any other time.
! There is no truth in the published story
To this effect
The International League is in the
field to stay. and it is ridiculous to inti-
mate that men like McCafrery and Solo
man. Of Toronto: Chaplin. of Rochester
Lichtenheim. Of Montreal: Stein and
Hart. of Buffalo: Lannin. of Providence.
and Ebbets and MCKeever. of Newark
all having thousands of dollars invested
would lay down after one bad season.
The transfer OF Baltimore to Rich
mond has already been completed, and II
our plans to transfer the Jersey City club
to Syracuse should fall through We have
other cities in view for the Jersey City
franchise"