The Washington herald., 1917-02-13
Believes Players Will Sign
Before the Gong Sounds
Griffith Sure Nationals Will Fall
in Line Before Time for
Training Trip.
By JOHN A. DUGAN.

ing in on an early mail and one Just be-
fore the closing time of his Office ln the
Southern Building.
Outside of stating that the two con-
tracts were from veterans, the Old Fox
would not give any inkling as to who the
newly signed players were. With the re-
ceiving OF these two signed contracts, it
leaves fifteen players still to be heard
from, but the Old Fox Is not worrying, as
he is sure he will have all his players in
line when the bugle sounds to start the
boys on their road to the Southern train
ing camp.
Because Of the trouble with Fultz's
Players Fraternity, Grir has kept both
the fans and the baseball writer's in the
dark on the players he has signed and
the ones yet to be signed. The Old Fox
did not want to cause any trouble be-
tween the players of his club by stating
when each individual signed but Grif
has promised to make known the players
on each list after the meeting of the
american League and National Commits
sion in New York City this week.
Manager Grifith and President Ben
Minor will be busy with the other major
league magnates in New York City this
week. GriH and Minor will leave here
Wednesday afternoon. The American
League meeting Is set for Thursday, and
the Old Fox believes that every question
of the John Henry case will be settled to
the satisfaction of all concerned.
In speaking of the many rumors OF the
trades that have been suggested, the Old
Fox said: Il am willing to listen to any
suggestions Of trades that the other man
sgers may offer. but have not any idea
OF any trades in my mind. OF course. il
they make any suitable offers to me I
will Immediately consider the same. but
do not expect to make any trades on
this trip"
Eddie FTaherty the big right-hand
youngster who will be given a trial with
the Grifmen this season. will leave here
today for Franklyn, Mass. to do some
preliminary work before reporting to the
Augusta training camp. Flaherty will
work out with the Dean Academy nine.
Harry Harris. a former Business High
School athlete, who Is al present attend
ing Dartmouth University, was yesterday
elected captain of the freshmen basket
ball quint. Harris Is one of the best
local athletes that every entered North
ern college. and will no doubt be a big
factor in football with the big Green
eleven next fall.
It's all settled" The chief bu. mess
of the annual meeting of the United
States Golf Association this year was
supplies selling by stars The rule
against selling was passed. The chief
business of the annual meeting of the
United States National Lawn Tennis
Association this year was the amateur
problem with regard to supplies SELL
ing by stars. The rule against selling
was NOT passed. The golfers were pas
sionately asked by one of the orators
whether they would prostitute prin-
ciple for personality" NO." they re-
sponded with a landslide vote. The
tennisists were presented with the same
problem of principle versus PERSONAL
ity. To the question the delegates
voted Yes" 135 to 1874. The dissen-
sion between these two great bodies
of American sportsmen now makes 1t
apparent that neither decision will
hold; that both will be up again at
another annual meeting for the as
saulting of those present.
The vote of the tennis delegates also
brings out the fact that there is some
thing radically wrong with the method
Of voting. Small-town clubs, hotel
clubs. and soforth had the same vote
namely one, as the large, powerful
and long-established clubs with a hun
dred times as much interest in ma
tiOnal affairs as the equal-franchise
club. Proxies also played a large part
in the voting. Uninstructed proxy
votes appear to be real menace and
out of date. Also the policy of a dis
trict association voting on a question
and then the individual clubs voting
as unit for the decision of the asso-
citation seems to be a misplaced prin-
cipIe.
With two OF the largest bodies of
sportsmen maintaining exactly oppo-
site clauses in their amateur laws,
things seem to be in a fine state and
L
down on all the fracas. Many clubs
voted or sent delegates to both meet
ings so that in some cases there is a
difference OF opinion in the two Eports
IN the same club Yet the situation
is almost identical and there seems to
be no reason why there should be one
rule for one sport and another for the
other.
When viewed through a microscope
the whole situation seems to hinge
around the personal rather than the
principle. The golfers at their meet
ing were very strong for the rein
statement OF Francis Ouimet. who in
his day had seized both titles but
who had been thrown into the profess
sional ranks by a ruling which had
had a years run. They were strong
for Ouimet all through the dinner
which preceded the meeting, and the
sentiment at the end of the speech
against the continuance or the rule
against selling golf supplies as an
amateur seemed also to be greatly in
favor OF Ouimet- But when his now
historical letter was read. 1t swung
the matter and proved that most of
the interest was personal Before that
it had appeared that the golfers were
ready to vote against the rule in order
to reinstate Ouimet.
Mike Gibbons continues to chase
Darcy around. The st. Paul Phan-
TOMS showing against Harry Greb in
Philadelphia on Saturday night was
frst-class and the Quaker scribes said
all sorts of nice things about Mike
Darcy is now on his way to New York
to start training for Mccoy. Unless
the Australian beats the middle-weight
titleholder-its a laugh every time
you call Mccoy that-the visitor from
the Antipodes will not get much seri-
Gus consideration after that Almost
everybody else has licked Al.
Denver is to have four new Carnegie
branch libraries