Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-01-16
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

interest IN the base pail SLrlke
situation today is divided between the
announcement that the players fra
ternity has applied to the American
Federation of Labor for a charter, and
the meeting of members of the fra
ternity in Chicago to hear what Presi-
lent Fultz has to say in regard to his
threat to order a walkout of the play
ers.
Announcement that the fraternity
seeks to become affiliated with the
Federation of Labor was made last
night in New York, and If the applica-
ton is granted at the meeting of the
executive council of the federation on
this Saturday, as is expected. it will
be the first time in the history of base
ball that the players have Joined hands
with union labor.
Samuel Gompers, president of the
labor federation, who was in New York
yesterday, is quoted as saying he had
no doubt the fraternity would be ad-
mitted to membership, and that ne
favored a strike by the ball players II
necessary to gain their demands.
The Chicago members of the frater-
nifty, who have been summoned for
conference tonight by Al Demaree'
pitcher of the Philadelphia Nationals,
! are surrounding their meeting with
considerable secrecy. The supposition
is the players who attend will be asked
to state their attitude in regard 10
the strike movement and give their
: views in regard to the plan to have
the organization join the labor union.
Demaree has refused to diVulge what
the letter from Fultz, which is to DC
read at the-meeting, contains, but IN
statement he gave out last night Dema-
rec said he did not believe there would
be a strike; that he believes the club
owners and players will get together
before the trouble has gone too far.
This Is a slightly different tune from
the one Demaree has been singing, and
may be significant.
There seem to be no serious ser is differ
ences," says Demaree. salaries may
not become involved. for this question
is a personal issue between the players
and club owners, and is not recognized
, as a fraternity problem. Our real
grievance was the disability clause, but
, this has been eliminated in our favor.
One of the lesser differences affects the
minor league players. They want the
club owners to pay their expenses from
their homes to the training camps, just
as the majors do.
| IF the players want strike let
them go ahead" said President Johnson
of the American League yesterday upon
his arrival in New York to attend the
scheduled meeting. Il do not think
the players of the major leagues will
carry their contentious so far as TO
strike" he continued. but If they DO
we will be prepared to meet the emer-
gency and will go right on playing
base ball. as usual. am of the opinion
that If the major 1eaguers do strike 1t
will be a violation of the agreement
made with the fraternity at Cincinnati
several seasons ago, and such action
will virtually cancel the compact and
absolye the club owners from the terms
| of that agreement
Johnson and the other leaders of the
hie Ieaeuers who are attending the
s. meeting refused to discuss the labor
| union end of the situation, however.
Dave Fultz. head of The players Or Or
magnates would give immediate con-
sideration to the requests of the fra.
| ternity if they realized the strength of
| the athletes union. Here is what Fuitz
has to say:
| "a number of the club owners have
| given it as their opinion that the re-
| quests of the players must rail- nat,
| since the major league players VIII not
| strike in support of their minor league
| brothers. They appear to forget that
| with a few exceptions the major league
player begins and ends his base ball
| career in the minor leagues. / venture
| to say that more than 100 major
| Ieaguers at the present time VIII be IN
| the minors before the close of the 1917
season. providing our differences are
| settled.
| the minors are fighting against at the
present time may be the new ones IN
| der which they will have to play In
/ comparatively short time themselves
| If the club owners could only be
| brought to realization of our strength
! and backing they would listen to our
requests without further delay
! The players fraternity has gained
hn MOI hay
Chicago Nationals rs result of Presi-
dent Weeghmans announcement that
six players who held war" contracts
have been reduced 81 900 or more. These
salary of $4,000, and two Of them.
| Archer and Wilson, have declined to
! sign at the reduced figures. The
salaries paid the men in question were:
/ Pitcher Seaton, $500: Catcher Archer,
81 900; Pitcher Lavender. $4,000; Pitcher
Hendrix. $4,000; Catcher Wilson. $500.
and Infelder Zeider. $1,000. Members
| Of the team who played winning ball
last year will not be cut, Weeghman
Evidence of the effect that the shaw
| ing of their salaries has had on the
players may be gathered from the
patch from Chicago. Archer said, in
regard to the application of the fra
ternity for charter in the American
Federation Of Labor:
IT'S a good thinS. and l nope the APP
plication is granted. The protection OF
iorganized labor would be of great serv-
ice to ball players. That's what we
| need" Archer added that he was in
=, full sympathy with the fraternity. and
| would walk out if FuItz called strike.
! April II is the date decided upon for
| the opening of the season in the Ameri-
| can and National leagues, according to
unofficial report from New York, where
the Joint schedule committee is in
! sion The Washington club is due to