Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-11-01
BOUT SLAMMED
IN WAR DRIVE
Executive Committee of Cam
paign Rule Against Fights
and Sunday Benefits

Professional boxing and all sport
ing competition planned for Sundays
during the drive of the United War
Work Campaign next month were re-
jected by the Executive Committee in
charge of the drive yesterday. At a
meeting of the committee of which
John r. Tot Is chairman, held at the
University Club, a resolution wa
passed which provided that the Sports
Committee of the campaign should
sanction boxing activities only in army
camps and at naval stations of the
Country. The resolution also provides
that the committee will not approve of
any sporting competition held on SUM-
day.
John d. Rockefeller, Jr., told tho
committee that protests against box
ing as a means of aiding the war fun
had been received from ministers in
/ all sections of the country. This action
means hat the countrywide program
which has been planned by James w.
Coffroth of California will have to be
cancelled unless the boxing promoters
decide to conduct the benefit boxing
showna through Independent commit
tees of their own.
Although 1t was pointed out at the
meeting yesterday that the boxing
show for the Red Cross at Madison
Square Garden netted 100000, and
that the present extensive boxing cam
paign was expected to raise at least
81, 600, 900, the committee frowned
upon the sport. DR.. Joseph f.. Ray
croft, who has charge of the athletic
activities In the training camps. point
ed out to the committee that the ac-
ton of Jess Willard and a few boxers
who were arbitrary about offering
their aid. did not represent the pre-
vailing spirit among the professional.
boxers, III that the majority of them
were prompted by a sincere patriotic
purpose in Offering their services for
the drive. Nevertheless, the commit
tee decided that it did not want to ac-
cept money from any benefits In whic'.
professional boxers appeared
This action has placed Coffroth, who
came here from San Francisco at the
request of the Sports Committee. in an
embarrassing position. He has enlist
, ed the services of boxers and promot-
| ers in all parts of the country and had
a movement under way which would
have resulted in the greatest lemon
stration of pugilistic activity ever
known in this country. As the matter
| now stands the whole project will
have to be abandoned.
While the decision against boxing
was a hard blow to the plans of the
Sports Committee of which Herbert l..
Pratt is chairman and William w. Ro-
per, secretary, the decision against
sanctioning Sunday athletic activities
for the fund will be even a harder
blow.
The Amateur Athletic Union had
planned to hold Sunday meets. but
these plans will rave to be abandoned.
One A. A. u. meet was held at City
College Stadium last Sunday, at which
q collection was taken up for the
drive, but. according to the decision
of the committee, these funds cannot
be accepted.
The committee was not unanimous
In its action against the boxers and
Sunday sports, as some of the MEM
bers stated last night that they did not
deem 1t fair to prevent the boxers or
any other athletes from doing their
bit toward the movement In their oWn
way.
It Is known that not all of the CO.
operating organizations which make
! up the United War Work Campaign
are opposed to accepting the aid Of
| the boxers and the organizations
which expect to conduct their games
on Sundays. for the Jewish Welfare
| Board, the National Catholic War
Council, and the Salvation Army have
| encouraged aid from these sources at
all times.