Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-14
WNERS DECLARE RUTHLESS WAR
I'M DAVE FULTZ AND HIS THINNING
RANKS OF REBEL BALL PLAYERS
yaternity Members Who Are Still Loyal to
Leader Meet Today to Plan Last Stand.
ss Strikers Now On the Defensive
BY ROBERT w. MAXWELL

exist, and henceforth the magnates will de-
vot their attention to the hodouts. dealing
with them as individuals. That il their one
concern at present and individually and coll
lectively they are not in a frame OF mind
to do much parleying with the players who
have refused TO sign contracts for any rea-
son whatever,
Fultz Turned Away
Fultz was turned away from the very
doors OF the meeting room yesterday While
the magnates were discussing a resolution
to sever all relations with the fraternity
President Harry n. Hampstead. Of the New
York club, was called from the room and
after few minutes Absence rushed exct-
edly into the meeting and said that John
McGraw, manager Of the Giants. was out
side and had asked permission to bring
Fultz before the magnateS In meeting.
In an instant the meeting was In q hub
bub OF excitement and in another instant
several of the magnates were on thoir feet
protesting against permission being granted.
The magnates scented trick and were
not to be carght mapping Realizing that
Fultz considered himself beaten and an
Xious to win the favor of the baseball pub
lie by backing down from his position OF
defiance, the mngnates unanimously voted
to refuse to see Mr. Fultz or any representa-
tive of the fraternity. President Hemp
stead withdrew and notified McGraw, who
carried the news TO Fultz, who was walt
ing downstairs
No Grievance
President Hermann. of the Cincinnati
Club, in explaining the adoption OF the
resolution, which killed the fraternity
claimed that no major league player had
any grievance and he challenged any per-
son to prove the contrary He explained
that the requests of the fraternity had been
complied with as to the payment OF the
salaries of injured players. He contended
that there had been no violation OF the
agreement wherein the unconditional re-
lease of player had been recalled before
the ten or five days notice to that effect
had expired
lie insisted that Fultz himself had drawn
up the tentative agreement as to the major
league and minor league clubs of classih-
cation AA and A having the expenses OF
players to the training camps. The clubs
of leagues of lower classification, he said,
were not obligated by this agreement be-
cause when 1t appeared in print President
Sexton discovered that the part relating to
league clubs of the lower classification was
not in conformity with the original draft,
and Hermann produced copy of letter
from Fultz to this effect.
This letter. Hermann claimed, showed
that the clubs OF lower classification were
not compelled to pay the entire transporta-
tlou expenses OF their players to the several
camps from their home cities. He said the
recent burden on the minor league clubs had
proved so great that out of forty such
leagues only twenty-five survived
Not Up to Letter
In concluding Hermann said:
"Fultz has not lived up to the letter and
spirit Of his agreement. He has shown the
real reason for all this agitation is the
keeping up of inflated salaries in a post
script to n letter which he had sent re-
Gently to western players.
In this letter Fults wrote: Keep all con-
tracts sent you, and when we have won you
will get the biggest salary offered you.'"
President Baker of the Philies, said last
night that Bert Nehon was the only men,
Der of the Phillies, aside from Alexander,
who could actually be called a holdout He
said Niehoff insisted on his Federal League
salary remaining in force and that he had
been cut Baker said that he believed every
other player on the team would sign a con-
tract and that all~the new men had already
been signed.