El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-12-18
BENNY LEONARD
DOES HIS Dit"
OR THE CAUSE
Lightweight Champion Has
Turned in Big Sums to
the Red Cross.
HAS NOT BEEN
MADE OFFICER
BY RTNGSIDER.

] - HlCAGDs Ill., Dec 4o--EeLll1
Leonard. lightweight champion,
+ - has been criticized by many
fight fans and others for not do
{ ing his Bit for his country by for
Z saking the ring and joining some
branch OF the governments mill
tary or naval service. Benny was
in Chicago recently and revealed q
[ few facts that would seem to indi-
cate that the lightweight champion
is one athlete that the government
I probably could i'll afford 70 have IN
the army
Makes Big sums.
I'VE we've figuring up the othe-
night, Billy Gibson, my manager. ana
have done for the country in this
crisis, and we found something that
really startled us. have taken
part in dozens and dozens Of benefits
and performances for the different
funds and war charities, and we dis
covered that the total receipts OF
these shows amounted 70 more than
100000.
ss9IInd You. thse were shows In
which nobody but the different
funds prOfited-. / didn't get a
penny out OF them and I'm many
distance without even having my
expenses paid. So consider
that even n I am not doing any
actual fighting I have done a
whole lot in another way.
an many OF these shows I was the
main attraction and. therefore. con-
slider that 7 alone was Instrumental
In raising the greater portion OF this
amount"
Leonard IS one OF the paid instruc-
tors At army cantOnments who OBJ
tanned his appointment Just as did a
number OF other high-class boxers.
through the athletic commission ere
ated by the president and headed BY
Joseph Z. RaycrOfL OF Princeton
university.
Is Not Lieutenant.
Il am not a lieutenant. as has been
said OF me-" said Leonard. but 4
wish I could say so. I've had Just
enough Of the military life TO make
me want lot more As soon as I
feel that I an perfectly safe In a
financial way, I am going 10 jump
In and see IL I can do some real
fighting They won't have 70 draft
Charley White. Chicago uehtweiEht.
who has had several cracks at the
1a1-pound title and thinks he should
be the champion today instead OF
Benny Leonard, may have a chance
TO prove his claims before long.
Billy Gibson, LeOnard's mnna-
ger has EXPRESSED a willingness
TO give White a chance to meet
the champion, and, in an indefI-
mite way. has intimated that he
would not be SURPRISED TO see
the bout staged within the next
few months.
These boys are bound 70 meet.
that's sure said Gibson. white
seems to be the only lightweight OF
real class left for Benny to battle
It Is only natural that they should
get together before long. and IL VIII
all depend on war conditions for the
next five or six months"
New Haven Is Good.
Although he refused to discuss the
matter openly, Gibson intimated that
New Haven, Conn, is one OF the most
promising spots in tbs cou- try as a
boxing center now that New York is
closed up, and this gave rise to a
"hunch that the Leonard-W hite ]
scrap. II Il is a--anged. may be staged I
over the 20 round route at New
Haven
White has been knocking at the
door Of the uEhtWeigh championship /
for several years He battled Freddy
Welsh for the ti-la at Colorado I
SPRINGS a little more than a year ago
and Charley still thinks he won that
battle. Welsh was IN his usual excel l
lent form 1cr that contest, however. .
and White failed TO cate up to him
long enough to win Since Leonard re-
heved Welsh Of the crown White has
heen asking for a chance to mete
Benny and Il may be that he will be Z
given the opportunity he has Ions
sought