Omaha daily bee., 1917-09-23
|RUM0RS OF STRIFE
IN WESTERN LOOP
Rourke, Hanlon, Fairweather
and Savage Said to Be Set
ting Themselves for Some
Fireworks.

They will play with their cards on
the table at the next Western league
meeting or I'll kick over the table"
That was the manner i'll which Id
Hanlon, owner of the ST. Joseph base
ball team, expressed himself as to the
coming /meeting of the league mag
mates, which is to be held in St! Jo-
seph soon, and as he was standing
near Pa Rourke, boss Of the Omaha
team, when he made the remark, and
the Omaha owner chimed in with
similar remark, it is evident that there
is to be something stirring in the hid
den recesses OF that meeting.
Politics are to be eliminated from
the Western league circles, f it is
possible to do so and in their stead are
to be substituted business principles,
A new faction has arisen within the
league and it is believed that this fac
ton controls things pretty we'll; GER
tain it is that they control the finances
Of the league in good style.
This branch is composed OF Ed
Hanlon, w. A. Rourke, Tom Fair
weather, owner of the Des Moines
team, and John Savage Of the Joplin
team. On the other side are Jack
Holland of Hutchinson, Frank 1sbell
of Wichita and possibly Hugh Jones
of Denver. The alignment of Ducky
Holmes is expected to be with the
| Hanlon-Rourke crowd for Lincoln
wants in on the new league, which is
being planned and will stick with the
big four,
After One Magnate.
But here is the most interesting
! thing which is to develop. One of
the magnates owes the league havily
and when the league meeting is called
and he attempts to cast his vote these
other men-the quartet of monied in
terests, plan to hold to the constitu-
ton of the league and refuse to allow
him a voice in the matters of the
leagues affairs. That is certain to
cause row at the outset of the meet
ing and lively session is certain from
that TIME on for this magnate is also
a scrappcr and will die hard.
Hanlon and Rourke have expressed
themselves as disgusted with the
league as it stands. "The league is
joke" said Rourke in St. Joseph the
other day. Think of such towns as
Hutchinson being in league with
such cities as Omaha and ST. Joseph.
Its all wrong and such a circuit can-
not last" 4
\ Talk Of New Loop. !
The talk of forming a new circuit
with Minneapolis, ST. Paul, Milwau-
kee and Kansas City as four Of the
towns and St. Joseph, Omaha, Linz
coin and Des Moines as the remain
der is serious. 1t all sounds "hshyn
but the magnates" of all these cities
have been comforting with reference
to the proposition and there is feel
ing that because of the war it might
not be bad plan TO figure, out a
circuit of these proportions. It. is
figured that the increase of interest i'll
the Western league teams would more
than make up for any lack of interest
at the outset in the four association
towns.
At any rate there is to be "some-
thing doing" at this meeting, and 1t is
to be interesting throughout every
moment of its stormy session. And
that it will be stormy is assured for
no words are to be minced. It is to
be no milk nor water affair and none
of the magnates will break their legs
in any mad rush to buy peace drinks
or smokes for the others. Its fight
to the finish this time and when the
smoke has cleared there will undoubt-
edly be a new Western league on the
| man