Evening star., 1917-01-15
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

| announced there will be no special
meeting Of the national commission to
consider the strike situation, Ban john
| son and John Tener. presidents, re-
/ spectively, of the American and Ma
| tional leagues, who. with Hermann.
| constitute the supreme court of base
ball. are comforting today in New York.
Ostensibly the purpose of their con-
| ference is to talk over the schedules
! for next season. Actually, however,
their meeting just at this time has a
| wider significance.
President Barney Dreyfuss of the Pitts
| burgh Nationals, President Hampstead
| of the New York Giants, President
Baker Of the Phillies and Capt. Huston
| and Col. Rupert of the New York
Americans also will be present 1t is
, the announced intention of the joint
| schedule committee to remain in ses-
! sion in New York until Wednesday.
Dover Hall. Ga, to complete the sched-
ules. AS Hermann left Chicago yes
terday for parts unannounced.' it is
not unlikely he will join his conferees
at the metropolis before they start
| south.
| In any event it is assured that the
threat of President FultZ to call
strike of the nearly 700 members of the
ceive more consideration from the mo-
guls than the schedule will. Ban John
son already has announced that the
fraternity must be crushed: that
F'ultz will be driven out of base
| ball; that the American League will
| have no further dealings either with
the organization or its head. Hermann
and Tener of the National League have
confined themselves to statements that
Fultz's demands are unjust and to ex-
haf . M
| league players will stick to the frater-
| nifty and back Fultz in his fight.
| Just how far the senior league mo-
| guls will go In backing Johnson in the
determined stand he has taken against
| the fraternity should be disclosed this
week. somewhat similar situation
arose several years ago in the Kraft
case. when the fraternity threatened
strike by it's members unless the
players demands on the Brooklyn club
were granted. Johnson at that time
| advocated a showdown. declaring any
temporizing would result in storing up
| trouble for the future. Recent develop
| ments show Johnson was right, as
usual. Owner Ebbets weakened in
that instance. however, and the threat
ened rupture in base ball was avoided
by compromising the Kraft case. Now
! it is believed the National Leaguers
will show by the stand they take that
| they have profited by that lesson.
1t is predicted that the big league
mogu1s now in session in New York
will advocate that a time limit be
set within which the players must send
In their signed contracts or face sus-
pension without pay. This is Ban john
sons idea and is typical of the strong
listed manner with which he deals with
of the magnates concur with him
that it would not take long to bring
the players to time if their salaries
were cut off.
vr-SI1 hQ so
ball imbroglio brought to a head. With
meetings of the members Of the fra
ternity in various sections scheduled
and the leaders of organized base ball
gathered together developments may
| be expected which will have a great
bearing on the 1917 campaign. Yes. this
| should be busy week in base ball.
| the spotlight to themselves in New
York, however, for while they are dis
cussing the strike situation at Ma
tional League headquarters the Inter-
ference making plans for meeting the
situation. The famous Newark case
will be discussed and the defiant action
of President Barrow's organization in
refusing to obey the decision of the
national commission probably will be
reconsidered. 1t is said the 1nterna-
tional Leaguers now realize they were
a little hasty in their action, and a
$4,000 is predicted.
Progress is being made by Manager
Griffith in arranging exhibition games
for his rockies on their return trip to
Washington from the training camp at
Augusta next spring. Contests with the
Virginia Leaguers at Norfolk Friday.
March 80. and with the International
League Club at Richmond Saturday,
March 81. already have been booked
| through North Carolina and Virginia
are pending. Griffith plans. If possible.
| to have his youngsters play every day
| from March % or "a, when they will
leave Augusta, until April 3, when they
will be back in Washington.
Griffith had little to say about the
strike situation today.
THE American League is through
with Fultz and the fraternity" he said.
| I'VE are giving no thought to the mat
| ter. Some of the players may refuse to
sign their contracts just at this time,
| but they'll all be in line in April.
| Asked whether he had received any
intimation from any of his players that
! they would put off signing, Grimth an
| swered in the negative.
| "None of the Washington players has
| sent me any word in regard to con-
| tracts, one way or the other" Griffith
| said. 'I have seen Ainsmith and Shaw.
| both of whom are wintering in Wash
| ineton, but the subject of the fraternity
or its demands wasn't even mentioned"
| "If l. ever meet less willard in the
ring / will beat him. and thereby win
| the championship"
This is the bold assertion of Fred
| Fulton whose recent spectacular
! Knockout of Tom Cowler has made him
! the generally Acknowledged contender
/ for the title. Continuing. Fulton says:
| ITO many that sweeping declaration
| may appear ridiculous and vain. I
don't think it is. Careful calculation