Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-12-21
DENIES ATHLETIC
SHOW WAS EXCUSE
FOR FUTURE BOUTS
DIRECTOR OF SOLDIERS BENE-
FIT ANSWERS COMMU NiCAT,ON
or YESTERDAY STATING THAT
ALL OF FUNDS WERE TO BE
USED FOR SOLDIERS.

Answering the ministerial comauh.
ication Of yesterday, in which il VAS
intana.ed that the athletic beneht Oh
New Years day was merely sub:er.
fugc 20 pry the prize fight lid of r
Ottawa, Frank Swegcr, director Of the
show. today denies in statement to
thc Free TraderJournal there was
any intent to make possible future ,io-
laiiors Of the law thru the loophole
,oft ny the New Years day bcueii..
AIr. Swegcr is entitled to have his
OPINIONS aired in the matter and for
this reason tie Free Trader.Journpl
p"ln,s his answer to yesterday'a com
Wun cation. IIo says;
To the Pubic:
In answer 70 some Of the accusn'
, t0ns made In the clcrgymcn's peti.
ton TO stop the Soldiers OF Ottawa
! Benefit Athletic Meet viii state that
tho charges. altho wordcd very prei-
tily to deceive the public and pro.
tect themselves, are absolutely I'M
true. Firstly. that this club, com.
posed of some of Otawa'S very best
citizens, did not organize and nsc
the soldiers as an opening wedge to
revive the iStic game in Ottawa.
This club was organized at an open
meeting which was advertised In
the Ottawa papers and told very
thoroughly what The purpose Of this
club was. The officers were elected
and the committees appointed al on
open meeting and AS yet no one ap.
pointed on committee has notified
any officer or member of this club
| that he has refused to accept Per
| haps, as the petition states, couple
| Of the members on committees were
not notified. but would ask the
! public Of Ottawa. il it is not eUS.
tomary at public open meetings 10
! appoint men on committees with
ont asking them to serve previous
to III" meeting. Any one on such a
committee Is entitled TO refuse to
serve If he so wishes.
We know just as well as The one
or two men who are the authors Of
this petition, that it is illegal to pro.
mote prize fight, but there are
other things to look at in ca8c Of
this kind, The l. s, government Is
heartily in favor OF boxing aud as
We all know they now have aud are
going to have more Of the best box.
crS in the country in its service
teaching the soldier boys the manly
art Of selr-defcnse They claim it
the best training they know Of for
bayonct work. The officers at the
training camps have told me il Is
compulsory for them to take two
hours a day at boxing,
Nov, If the author, or authors, Of
b, this paper had objected 50 strong
ly 10 this benefit, why didn't they
. come to the open meeting and make
. their objections and not wait until
the advertising matter is printed
!, and put the club at IN expense
, which they Will have to stand FOR.
II they as they clam, are only
interfering bccausc It is an illega
act. why were the insinual ions mad,
in their petition that II was an open
. ing wedge to open up the iiSlic gamt
in Ottawa Also why do they say
:. 1--WE cannot help feeling that an at
tempt has been made by a alcyet
move, 10 Obscure this issue in In,
, minds Of the public by bringing for
ward the plan as benefit Tor Com
pany G, at this particular time.
This statement Is absolutely false
This affair was never intended as I
benefit. for Company {, but VAS
. benefit for all the soldier boys .
l. Ottawa in Uncle Sans service,
They furthermore say they fee
that the real interest of those pre-