Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-30
BASE BALL MOGULS
PLAN TO KILL SUIT
Believe Abolition of National
Commission Would End
Court Action.
BAN JOHNSON PERTURBED
AT DELAY OF FEDERALS
o. B. May Refuse to Take Over De.
funct Leagues Parks if Prom.
Uses Are Not Kept.

special Dispaich To The star
CHICAGO. January 2o.-Is an
nouncement OF a probable change
in the national commission due
to the base ball litigation in
Judge Lands COURT
To all practical intents the
base ball war is thing of the
past, and yet the suit before
Judge Lands has not been with
drawn. To do away with the
possibility or probability OF an
adverse decision and for other
reasons the powers of organized
base ball may be planning a COM
plete change of scenery, switch
in personnel and a new name for
the supreme court of base ball.
The new contract between
magnate and player is said to be
drawn up in such language as to
stand the test of the courts, but
the national commission, with its
rules and regulations, still is
vulnerable to attack from sources
hostile to organized base ball. No
part of that agreement has been
changed to conform to new con-
ditions, and the personnel which
lis not representative of the major
leagues still exists.
The suit before Judge Lands named
| among other defendants the members
of the national commission and much
of the attack of the Feds was leyeled
against the so-called trust operating
in violation of law, known as organized
base ball. Garry Hermann was singled
out as the arch conspirator against the
rights of the independents. The rights
of the player and his destiny, declared
the attorneys for the plaintiffs, were
in the hands of the ruling body Of the
game, of which Hermann was head
johnson Is Perturbed.
over the failure of the Federal League
men to come through with their part of
the peace agreement and withdraw the
base ball suit pending in Judge Landis'
court. The American League chief held
out for some time against the peace
pact being signed until the suit was
withdrawn. He was assured the with
drawal of the suit was only a subject
of form and that it would be taken
from court Immediately after the sign
ing of the pact.
The peace pact was signed and seal
ed December .. at Cincinnati More
than a month has passed and the suit
still is pending in court.
What is to become of that suit to
dissolve organized base ball, which
means the national commission, and
the breaking up of the system
will the Baltimore Feds. who are
one of the sosnplaina persist IN
their refusal to withdraw the suit, and
what will Judge Lands then do"
President johnson when asked these
questions said final details of the peace
agreement will not be settled until this
and other suits pending against tne
national commission are withdrawn. III
the Feds fail to keep their part OF the
peace agreement. which involves the
withdrawal of the base ball litigation
now pending, organized base ball may
refuse to keep its part to take over
several parks in several cities OF the
disba Federal League.
The dissolution of the national COM
mission voluntarily on the part of Or
ganized base ball would cause the case
to be thrown out of court, think some
base ball men. 1t also would serve the
purpose of disarming critics of the or.
ganized game to a great extent in fu.
ture wars. they declare.