The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-16
QUESTION OF PEACE RESTS WITH MOGULS
 AMERICAN LEAGUE
National League Meeting Has Not Adjourned-MO- ran Signed For Three
 Years by Phillies

New York, December 15.-The National league magnates virtually marked time here today while waiting for the Amer ican league to ratify the proposed terms of peace between organized and independ- ent baseball interests. While none of the senior organization club owners would be quoted officially, it was apparent they were not over-confident that President Ban Johnson and the magnates of the American league would agree to the plan of peace proposed and virtually accepted by the National league.
 As the story of the tentative agreement developed it appeared that independent baseball interests had imposed conditions such as victors are wont to dictate and this did not appeal so keenly to the Ma tional league as they did in the rosy light of the recent peace conference. President James A. Gilmore of the Federal league and Harry F. Sinclair. one of the princi- pal packers of the independent league, in- sisted here tonight that all the Federal league players must be taken care of by organized baseball before any peace agreement can be signed
 According to well informed Federal league authorities these contracts call for close to $3S0,000 in salaries and even the National league magnates bal6 at as- sumng such a responsibility at this time.
 One prominent club owner stated that while he had no objection to assuming the contracts of such players as might come to him in the course of a general distribution of players or through con solidation of clubs he was opposed to agreeing to pay the salaries of a large number of players whom neither he nor his fellow magnates could use in their baseball business. He said further he would accept the return of such former players of his club who had jumped to the Federals as might be useful to him, but that he would consider all others free agents so far as his club was concerned.
 Gilmore stated that peace must be reached not later than December q, since the Federal league option on the property for the proposed park in New York city expires December 23 and unless there was complete understanding between all those concerned in professional base ball before that date the Federal league would purchase the park property and
 include it ir the assets of the Federal league at such time as peace agree ment might be reached. This property is said to be purchasable at $1,250,0Oo, which sum the Federal league packers have agreed to pay for the several city blocks included in the site.
 Sinclair, who is said to be the chief be cker of the proposed Federal league club in this city, said he was not as yet certain that complete understanding could be reached, but that he hoped a working agreement would be arranged.
 The fact that certain magnates were on the verge of bankruptcy and that these magnates were not members of the Fed eral league helped to bring about CO., operation between organized and inde- pendent baseball interests, according to Sinclair. He stated further that after all was said and done the question of peace in baseball was up to Ban Johnson and the American league magnates.
 When President Gilmore was informed that the American league magnates were understood to be favorably impressed with the proposed plans for peace and that meeting would in all probability be held in the near future he said that the Fed eral league would appoint committee to meet the American and National league delegates at any time and place that might be agreeable to those delegates.
 During the meeting here today no per son represented Pittsburg, as President Dreyfuss had not appointed proxy dur ing his absence on a peace mission to Chi- cago. Resolutions of regret upon the deaths of A. G. Spalding and Andrew Freedman were adopted
 Section 25 of the National constitution was amended so that in future any player under suspension shall forfeit his salary while under the ban and that no rebate or reimbursement shall be made to such player at any time or manner
 The meeting was adjourned until tomor- row afternoon.
 Chairman Hermann of the National commission said late tonight that repre- sentatives of the National, American and Federal leagues would meet here Friday to discuss peace terms and future conduct of major league baseball. The American league officials at Chicago sent word to- night that a committee would leave there tomorrow to attend the meeting.