The Alaska citizen., 1915-11-22

with more scoru than any other spse.man of tGe human species. and in the world Of sports the feeling i. eyca more bitter than in ether walks
 One year aso the organized forces of baseball proclaimed with a loud trumpet blast. that the Federal, League was losing money in great quantities and that its complete collapse Was but a question of few weeks. The statement that the outlaws" were mourning se- we're losses was true, but the inde- pendents contented themselves with stating that nat only would they continue to do business. but that they were prepared to meet any de ficiencies incident to the baseball war. no matter whether the COL flict lasted months or years. And t.c FeIs made -gaG They contiuu to lose money throughout the re mainder of the 1914 season and many of tEeir teams are still play ing before crowds too small to meet the expenses of the outfits But there never has been a whimper from one e the independent mag mates though they have been fore ed to dig into their strong boxes and dig deeply n meet expenses. In plain English, they have proved but few doubt that they will continus to battle until they effect SOIL. truce with the organized forces which will bring about either an amalgamation of interests or such recognition as will give them a major league standing which the fans generally will recognize
 Now turn to the National and American leagues. Are they still putting up the same aggressive tlt. tie as when they tossed their hats into the ring and declared war upon the Fed invaders Well. not so that you could notice it. Already Som CTS, president of the Maps, anl Herman. head of the Reds and Chairman of the National Commis- sion, have raised their voices in bitter complaint and their howls about hard times and a dismal out look for the future of the national pastime have been truly pitiful. TC the man sitting On the fence and watching tRe battle 1t looks as ii o. B. either is welching or ready to quit cold. These complairers and their fellow masnates went into this fight with their eyes open. and if they are unwilling to keep on spending money to supply the sin ews of war or feel that they are licked" let them come out in tlC open and admit it. Trying to be- fog the issue with shrieks of gen eral hard times will fool nobody. Cincinnati. Cleveland and certain other cities have not been big pay ing propositions simply because the rooters were not furnished winning baseball In New York and Chi cago, where the fans will turn out whether the teams win or lose, the attendance this year was way ahead of last, and in other places where good games are being carded there is no cause for complaint.
 Many fans believe that organized baseball is tired of the war, tired of spending large sums to maintain hostilities disgusted that it made long-term contracts with lot Of limping veterans and ertouted rockies, merely to keep them from the Feds, and that it's packers ha C realized finally that the roOters are interested in the game merely as sport, and care nothing for the fi- nancial squabbles of the magnatas If this is the case the most fearful plaints of Somers and Herman may be inspired in the hope that, when peace is declared this winter, it will not be too obvious that the Federal lea@re wa5 sGeees ful ir delivering the more telling wallops
 Personally We believe that the baseball war never should have been started, we believe that the Feds created a spirit of discontent among the players which has done the game no good. But they have been fighters and have taken their re- Verses like men. And again yours truly repeats, the war will terminate this winter, and then the guns Of the club owners will be turned upon. the players. Inflated salaries will come tumbling down with a crash. Men like Iris Speaker will stand about as much chance of again being given contracts call ing fer about S36OO0 for two sea sons work as snOwball has of lasting through a summer in the tropics. Readjustments Of all kinds will be in order and when the work is completed the biz leagues prob ably will not carry more than twen- ty-five CT thirty men each, and the players will receive salaries well