Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-04-01


sportsmen are volunteering their per
sonal and property to the use of the
country is characteristic of the spirit
of American sportsmanship. 1t is far
sighted, unsefsh. American sports
manship never has failed when called
upon, and now when it is to be put to
the most severe test of all time 1t Is
not found wanting
Majors Stimulate Militant Spirit.
First to realize the assistance which
athletes could give to the military
need Of the country were the major
leagues. Farsighted. anyictical minds
such as control the destinies of the
greatest athletic organizations. last
winter saw the necessity of stirring up
interest in military training. Not for
a minute did they fool themselves by
thinking that the military training
which the major league players have
been put thru in their training camps
this spring would produce in the play
ers themselves, an army which in it
self alone would cut much OF figure
I'm case Of war, but they knew that tho
eyes of the entire youth of the land
are turned on the spring training
camps of the major league clubs, and
that military training in these camps
would aid more in stimulating interest
that could be attempted on short no.
tice SO, in spite OF causuc commen;
from many unthinking writer's who
saw in this order merely a bid for
publicity on the part of the major
league magnates, in spite of objections
froil some of the managers and play
ers who complained that II retarded
their baseball conditioning, the edict
prevailed. Now the scoffers are be-
ginning to got wise to the really big
idea which prompted this movement.
Motorists Offer Services.
One by one the nations athletic or
CARNATIONS are falling into line as If
by some prearranged plan in the very
order their services are needed. The
military spirit having been awakened
by the major leaEuers. the next press
ing needs were aviators and expert
mechanics. TO supply this need the
indianapolis Motor Speedway associa,
ton announced that 1t had called off
its classic Memorial day race that
mechanics might be released for gov
ernmcnt services and that drivers
might become aviators.
few hours after notice of the call
inP off of the big race came news that
peLloyd Thompson. aviator, was en-
listing some Of the world famous au-
tomobile pilots in an aviation corps;
that many of the drivers already had
significd their intention OF becoming
fliers. Think what an efficient band
of air scouts Uncle Sam will have
with Barney Oldfield, Dario Resta,
Ralph DePalma. Eddie Rickenbacker,
johnny Aitken. Howard Wilcox. Earl
Cooper, Eddie Pullen, Wilbur ID Alene,
Thomas Milton and Eddie O'Donnell,
These are men Of unparalleled daring
as well as competent to handle such
treacherous machines as aircraft,
few lessons and they will become ex-
perts.
Golf Courses for Camps
Realizing the need of suitable
grounds for military camps, many of
the golf clubs of the New England
states are being offered to the govern
ment. The Fox Hills Golf club of
Staten Island has cancelled its invi-
tation tournament of May II, and
Howard f. Whitney. secretary Of tho
United States Golf association, has an
nounced that others would be called
off it military needs demanded.
Spring intercollegiate sports will
suffer even more than did football last
fall when troops were called to the
Mexican border. Princeton has taken
the initiative by passing a resolution
which automatically suspends all ath
letics upon the declaration of war
Whether active participation hos.
tilities will mean the suspending of
organized baseball leagues only time
car tell. Anything is possible in war
times. We think the advent into the
war of the United States will hasten
the end, that Germany will be forced
to make peace within n few months.
But 1t must be remembered that when
the war first started six months was
the limit most prognosticators set on
It's duration, and already 1t has lasted
five times that long. We think II
will be merely a sea war for the
United States. with perhaps a little
border trouble: but no one can tell
what havoc on the interior will be
wrought by it,
Major Presidents Optimistic.
The major leagues may be the first
effected, and again they may be the
last. Presidents OF Both National and
American leagues have issued state
ments in which they have declared
that their leagues would operate re.
gardless of hositilities; but some of
their largest cities are In the district
which first will feel the effects OF the
war. II all depends.
While President Bell OF the Western
association has issued a statement in
which he predicts the interior will not
be seriously effected, inasmuch as the
entire country long has considered
war merely q matter of time and con-