Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-18
JACK JOHNSON IN LONDON
Deposed Champion Of the Ring Now
Spending His Money Buying
Cigarettes for Soldiers.
DISCUSSES OTHER FIGHTERS

NEW YORK, July i7.-There has been
little heard Of Jack johnson since he fell
before Jess willard in Havana But Jack
Is moving about Just the same and II is
London which is At present graced with
HIS presence,
johnson has declared no intention OF re-
turning 10 the ring but boxing Is still his
hobby and he likes to talk about the
game. Now and then he goes into COM
PARSONS Of the old and new types Of men
In the game, Between times Jack Is
spending money buying cigarettes for
English soldiers at the front, He haa all
ready bought more than 5000 for Tommy
Atkins and Intends TO keep doing that
little thing for some time TO come.
The other day he was approached on
the subject Of the best possible opponent
for Jess willard,
Talks Of Pugilists,
'"rhat's not an easy question to an
swer." said the former champion, hut
taking everything into account l should
say Moran, at the monument He IL big
enough himself not TO be worried over
much by Wizards bulk, and as a boxer
I should say he IL a bit In front Of Jess"
The names of young Ahearn and Car
pentler were preached as possible oppo-
nents Tor Willard. but In those Jack saw
no chance. He did not think them big
enough, aud when the old boxing maxim
was suggested that a good i54-pound man
was as good a. anything on two legs,
jack demurred and then talked on the
matter thus;
AAak H. Ill A.
way and, Of course, know you could
quote plenty of names, such as Charlie
Mitchell, for instance. in support Of the
argument But I'm bound to say think
a few more pounds would be useful, for
Ia pounds IL net a big weight when the
other fellow In the ring is clever as well
as big. The men about that weight who
have won big events against much
heavier men have been exceptionally fine
bexeFsl maybe there has been a touch of
genius about most OF them. And those
sort OF exceptions only SO to prove the
general rule, after all."
He Doesn't Like Thts Plan,
Johnson went on TO speak Of American
boxing and strongly deprecated the no
decision euatem.
1T Ia not fair to the public" he said,
''aad more thsn that. Il ia not fair TO
the boxers. although they naturally fall
in with the custom and make the easy
money. But what mean when say
that it is not fair TO the boxers is that
the custom IL all against man improv-
ing himself, and by so doing increasing
his standing with the public.
"A young boxer has the best OF a no
decision bout with a better known man,
and the pair may have been having a
real go from start to finish. But the
youngster never gets the credit for his
showing. 1T was just one of these no.
decision bouts Gays the public, and,
after all. what do they amount tor
Flash Boxing Rad,
'The sooner decision bouts are the
rule in America the better for the game
The funny thing is that everybody seems
to agree to that, and yet the old system
still goes on doing harm to all con-
eerned."
Speaking OF the lights OF other days,
Johnson passed from q reminiscent to a
critical vein, and saidi
Taken on the average, I don't agree
that the modern boxers are eleverer men
at the game than the leading boxers of
a dozen or fifteen years ago, 1 am sure
they are not quite so hard, for one
thing. and then there is at times boxing
that is called clever, but which is really
flash work, which doesn't take in the
real expert. Flash boxing was never a
bit of good 10 any man."
Ats Made a Manager.