The Washington times., 1917-02-07
STRIKERS PREPARE
TO TOSS IN SPONGE
Finding Magnates Determined
to Fight to Finish, Players
Are Quitting.
By JOE villa. -

NAA~C1 NLlC SlAlho OL Lue DldyeTI
union for big salaries cannot succeed.
the leaders Of this fooIhardy movement
are looking for a way out. The possI-
bility Of war with Germany Is used a. a
reason for the surprising announcement
that the strikers are ready to throw up
the sponge for the good Of the game
II such action Is taken the union will
go out Of existence. II the strikers hold
out. in spite OF the controversy between
Uncle Sam and the Kaiser, they viii
ba badly beaten
The magnates viii give no quarter.
They do not care what the union does
Already the National Commission has
severed relations with the players or
ganization. as Il is constituted at pres
ent. and there will be no further con-
ferences.
Planned Last Summer.
The strike was agreed upon last sum-
mer. The plan was to prevent the over
burdened club owners from reducing
exorbitant salaries. The magnatss
knew about this plan before the strike
order was made public. It was decided
last fall to fight the union to a finish
ard this policy will not be changed
Public opinion has not supported the
players at any time. The fans are
aware Of the liberal treatment received
by the union from the National Com
mission and the major leagues. The
baseball public realize that the
players never had any real grievances
and that their unfair salary demands.
II successful. would seriously cripple
the promoters OF the sport
Magnates Must Rule.
The national game must be ruled
by the mRgnates with absolute power.
II the players gained the upper hand
the public would lose confidence in
the integrity of the sport. Fraternal-
ism on the ball field has injured the
game In many ways. 1t caused the
scandal at Ebbets Field last October
when John McGraw accused the
Giants Of Indifferent playing In the
final series with the Brooklyns.
With baseball threatened with un-
ionism. therefore, the magnates will
not accept q compromise at this late
stage Of the struggle. They intend to
put the union out OF business for all
time, and the strikers are beginning
to believe that their employers mean
business.
DIssension Crops Out
Dissension among the strikers has
cropped cut. The members Of the
union, as frequently predicted. win
not stand together Nav OF them
have secretly signed contracts or have
notified their club owners that they
will report on March 1. at the train
ing camps These players are In peed
Of advance money or are 1traid tina.
they will lose their positions.
The Act that practically all the
stars Of the game have contracted to
appear on the field as usual has caus-
ed no end OF worry among those who
are holding out until the union lead
ers release them from their pledges.
1t is safe to say that a large num-
ber of players realize that they have
been placed in q trying predicament.
They have had enough OF unionism and
are eager to get back into the good
graces of their employers. When the
union has been counted out 1t will be
many years before the national pas
time again is threatened with disrup-
tion.
Pacific II Exempt.
Driven to the point OF desperation,
the union leaders now say that they
have been fighting for the rights OF
players in the class AA and A cir
cults and that the smaller leagues
are not in II. On top OF this comes
the surprising announcement that
the Pacific Coast League is exempt.
Why should the union allow the
Pacific Coast League to paddle its
own canoe, free from the annoyancss
of the strike? 1t looks like a casa
of discrimination or evidence OF
weakness.
As a matter OF fact, baseball men
who know the inside of the contro-
versy never have believed that the
welfare OF the minor league players
was at stake.
A Monumental Bluff.
The demand for the adjustment OF
alleged minor league grievances is
monumental bluff. The public re
fuses to believe that we'll paid major
league players have refused to sign
their contracts because the "bushers"
do not receive their expenses to
the spring training camps
The major leaguers care nothing
for their minor league brothers. The
big fellows are looking out for them
selves. They heard last summer that
salaries would be reduced and they
organized a strike to protect their
interests That is the situation IN
nutshell.
But the magnates have refused to
yield an inch and they'll win in a
walk.