New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-29


Speaking for ourself, We left the
arena a better man. TIE gameness OF
Frank Moran shamed Us TO the extent
OF impelling a resolution 70 get TO the
dentist and have II over with. After
watching and admiring the physical
magnifcence Of Willard We decided to
smoke only three cigarettes a day, and
to begin each morning by arising at b
O'Clock and running around the park.
Tn. fact that we later compromised
on arising t II and walking around
the bloc. has nothing TO do with the
impulses which the fight engendered.
Prizehghting develops the best in
men. It's psychology is, TO our mind,
much more sound than that OF pro-
fessional baseball. A fight crowd IS
a fair crowd. and grudges mean ad.
vantages 10 either man. In spite OF
the gross commerclalization OF the
sport. there Is chiyalry in prlzehght-
ing. You cannot keep IL wholly out
Of the proceedings Of even the mean
est fight club.
There is certain uplift in estab-
fishing physical mastery, and, strange
~ enough. even the beaten man seems
TO be morally improved. particularly
if he is beaten badly enough. Pos
sibly some of the original sin OF Adam
may be removed if hook IS hard
enough.
We saw little gutter-snipe Of
preliminary boy pick up a fallen an
tagonist when he had slipped. We
hal
at each other with seeming fury for
six rounds and then fairly hug each
other at the final bell, carried away
by a common enthusiasm engendered
by a well-fought fight.
The boxing fan is always for the
smaller man. while the baseball rooter
jeers the tail-end club. The shouts and
cries OF crowd AT the Polo Grounds
are almost invariably those OF dlspar-
aeement. The crowd seeks 10 rattle
this man or that. The fight fan IS con-
structive. His shouts are those Of en-
enlargement.
We received this morning the follow
ing unsigned letter:
ain this mornings edition Of The
New York Tribune you comment on the
criticism Of the Rev. W. ". ]. Duncan,
pastor OF lNe james " T. NHuiNH,
brooklyn. Of Saturday nights prize
fight IL is also true, as you mention,
that The New York Journal protests,
vet reports. such exhibitions. | might
suggest that YOU read carefully GER
tain paragraph Of Mr.. Hearst's telc-
gram 10 the clergy, which reads as fol-
lows:
"'The newspapers will report this
fight. but they do not approve of II.
The newspapers report the facts Of the
Waite murder, but they do not approve
Of murders. They labor 20 secure
proper laws and penalties and adequate
police regulations TO prevent murders
and other criminal and immoral acts"
Nobody has any right 10 criticise Mr..
Hearst for printing the facts OF the
Willard and Moran fight and at the
same time condemning the contest. But
Mr. Hearst did not confnc the activi-
ties Of his newspaper 10 printing the
facts Of the fight.
Immediately after Wizards victory
over Jack Johnson Mr.. Hearst hired a
writer 20 prepare an autobiography OF
Jess Willard. Mr.. Hearst would hardly
contend that this lengthy document
had any relation 10 fact.
Before the Willard Moran fight Mr..
Hearst employed another writer 10
prepare diary Of Jess Willard. This
document also had no relation 20 the
facts Of the fight.
Mr. Hearst further purchased from
James J. Corbctt. n gentleman long en-
gagged IN the domorslizing business Of
Prize fighting, the right 20 use his