Evening star., 1915-12-19
BASE BALL PEACE
/ CERTAIN TO COME
Independents Virtually Sur
rendered When They
Sought Compromise.
SINCLAIR is MAN BEHIND
MOVE TO ELIMINATE FEDS
Realized Third League Was Doomed
to Failurl Fortune Lost
in Venture.
BY j. ED GRILLo.

BYJ. ED GRILLo.
Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK. December 1S.-
The Federal League will be a
thing of the past by the time the
next base ball season opens. All
that remains OF the Gilmore cir
cult at this time is the history Of
its two-year career. Stories tell
ing of the wonderful achievement
OF the Feds in its dealings with
organized base ball are not based
on facts. The Feds proposition
is nothing more than surrender.
There was hardly chance for
the league to continue its course;
most of the clubs had lost heavily
and just one man remained who
could have continued the battle.
That was Harry Sinclair, a man
of untold wealth and shrewd
enough to realize there was no
chance for the Federal League to
eventually succeed. He figured it
would be better to spend lot of
money to get into organized base
ball, where there is a future,
than to send lot of good money
after bad.
1t was with this in view that
Sinclair arranged the peace pro-
posal, which has not only been
agreed upon. but which will be
carried out to the letter in due
time.
Sinclair Assumes Burden.
= So anxious is the western millionaire
to end the war and get into the or
ganized end of the game that he pro-
posed to pay the salaries of the
seventy-odd players who have long
term contracts without the release
clause. until these players are paid up
according to their agreements. This
will require lot of money. and few OF
the players will be used. for while the
three clubs which will be purchased
by the Sinclair interests will have the
present members and all the Fed play
ers to draw from, none of the other
teams in the major leagues will em-
ploy any OF the players who jumped
their contracts because it would be
an injustice to the players who re-
mained loyal to organized base ball.
no nf Federal League in
the two years 1t was in operation were
tremendous, and 1t was because Sin
clair realized that base ball cannot be
successfully conducted with the players
drawing exorbitant salaries and with
no ten-day release clause in their con-
tracts that he engineered the move
ment whereby the Federal League is to
be wiped out. His club and those OF
one or two of his colleagues will be
placed In organized base ball, where
they will have an earning capacity in
due time. following the natural failing
on in the general expenses which grew
beyond reason when the war was
started.
"Scoop" Starts Trouble.
Some most misleading stories have
been printed in New York which were
intended to create the impression that
the Federal League had beaten or
xanizcd base ball into line. Such. how
ever. is far from the truth and was
caused by tine fact that one indus
trfous writer got on the JOB e2riy last
week and printed the exclusive story
of the peace deal which was slaa.sh ,,,h
by the Feds, impaired to the cluD
owners of the National League and
then presented to the club owners OF
the American League in annual session
at Chicago.
writer's who were covering the Ma
tional League meeting that they have
been roasting organized base ball. par
ticulariy President Tener; ever yer. slnSe Se
put something over on organized base
ball.
be more accurate, by sinclair. LOT ne
was the man behind the movement, was
go fair and reasonable that the Johnson
circuit Immediately adjourned It's meet
ing and hurried q committee TO Ne"
York to go into session with the COM
mittee Of the Federal and National
leagues. There was not single hiIch
in the preliminary negotiations But
organized base ball realized that 1t
n,.,xfng plays while the Federal League
s:fe was still pending before the court
of Judge Lands in Chicagq. This OBJ
stacie was overcome finally when the
delegates from both sides decided to
communicate with their attorneys and
have them withdraw the suit, SO that
the deals and other arrangements still
necessary could proceed.
Giants for Sinclair.
1t is more than likely that the New
York Giants will be purchased by Har-
ry Sinclair within a very short time.
The Cubs will go to Weeghman and
Walker. who have lost fortune in the
venture. and they will move the Cubs
to the north side. where the plant will
be greatly increased in size. In st.
by Fed money and Fielder Jones will
become one of the owners Of the team,
besides being its manager. This deal.
: like the Cub deal in Chicago. already
is well under way, and there are those
who insist that II will be only a ques-
fion OF time when the Giants will go
into Sinclair's hands.
Sinclair, the principal backer of the
- =