The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-13
No Definite Policy For War Time Yet Decided
 Upon By Big Leagues
AMERICAN LEAGUE

Chicago, December 12.-After a five houl session club owners of the Amer ican league adjourned their annual meet ing tonight until tomorrow without talk
 ing definite action toward adopting a policy to pursue in connection with the war. Questions of slashing the player limit, shortening the spring training trips and other war measures will be taken up tomorrow.
 President Ban Johnson was advised by August Hermann, chairman of the national baseball commission, that the club owners of the National league, who had been in session in New York. would leave there tomorrow morning for a joint meeting with the American leaguers here on Friday. President John- son had no information that President Tener of the National league would at tend
 Routine affairs and a brief discus sion of the player limit commanded the attention of the American league today. They reached an understanding in re- gard to method for collecting the fed eral war tax on passes but withheld announcement until the joint meeting.
 PENNANT AWARDED The 1917 pennant was awarded to the Chicago club and Charles A. Comiskey, pI6SluGlI OI ILc CldI0plOu w Hlt6 GO&3 was reelected vice president of the league. The new board of directors is composed of Phil D. C. Ball, president of the St Louis club; Frank J. Ma win, president of the Detroit club; Ben S. Minor of the Washington club, and B. F. Shbe of Philadelphia President Johnson said tonight that l the sentiment of the club owners strong 1 ly favored retention of the present player limit of 25 men and eontinua- 1 tion of the usual spring training trips 1 There had been reports that the train | ing trips might be shortened to two or 1 three weeks.
 1 Opposition to reducing the player limit I came from Col. Jacob Ruppert, one of President Comiskey of the Chicago Americans.
 VIEWS OF RUPERT l 'I think we should continue as in the past" Colonel Ruppert said We couldn't possibly get along with IS men. The lowest number in my judgment would be q. It's necessary to carry 1 undeveloped minor leaguers. The aver age minor leaguer coming to the big | leagues is scared to death and it re- 1 quires time for him to wear off his stage fright
 l President Comiskey opposed any re. auction Tn play1ng schedules or player
 limit and opposed discussion of any panic which might come to baseball l through thoughts of the war. "The game has passed through other crises and will live through this one,' l Comiskey said. q believe the public wants the game and until it says oth- erwise it is up to us to proceed along | the lines we always have followed 1 There is a possibility that Derril Pratt, second baseman with the St Lcuis Americans, may be traded to New York before the end of the week. Col onel Ruppert of the Yankees said to- l night that he was prepared to offer cash or players for him. Pratt has a
 s10oC00 suit alleging libel pending against
 President Ball of the St. Louis club and
 is known to be anxious to play else I where.
 | Clark Griffith, manager of the Wash ington club, who is collecting funds for 1 the "bat and ball'' fund to provide American soldiers with baseball equip ment, announced that he had forwarded a third shipment to Pershing's forces ir France. The latest shipment is valued ] at $5O0O