The Sentinel=record., 1918-07-27
ARE GIVEN UNTIL SEPT EN- Der
TO SEEK ESSENTIAL EN-
PLoYmENT OR BE CALLED.
Application Had Been dade by the
National Baseball Commission to
Have the Time Extended Until
October IS.

order issued by Secretary Baker To-
day denying the application OF the Ma
tional Baseball commission that the
effective time of the work or fight
regulations as they apply to the base
bah industry be extended TO October
Ms
The secretary said that the limited
extension of time was given becluse
of the representations made that base
ball players may have been put in a
less iavorab bile attitude thsn others
| affected by the regulations because of
| their reliance on his statement that
the question of their inclusion in the
terms of the order would not be de-
cided uptil a case had arisen. 1e
made II plain, however, that the war
department is interested solely in the
strengthening OF the nations military
forces as the winnig of the war is re-
garded as the first consideration
Secretary Bakers order, in tho
form Of a memorandum for the pre-
vest marshal general follows:
"A petition has been filed for an
extension of time within which PRO-
fessional baseball players shall seek
essential or productive employment
and the order asked is one which will
extend until October Is, 1918. A
ground for this request it is alleged
that there are but 237 persons affect
ed by the so-called work or fight
order. but that. in spite of this small
number, their taking would lead to the
immediate breaking up of the entire
game.
1T is further said that the notice is
| too short to allow the leagues to
adapt themselves to the ruling, and
that the failure of the clubs to adapt
themselves to the ruling is due to the
fact that the secretary OF war caused
it to be known through the news
papers that the question of the appn-
cation OF the order to baseball players
would not be decided until an actual
case arose.
"a hearing has been had on this
subject by the provost marshal gen.
eral who reports to me that ii is not
clear to him that the game will have
to be discontinued, even If the order
is made Immediately applicable
The purpose OF the work or fight
Iorder, 50 far as the war department IS
concerned is to strengthen the mill
tary forces of the country, and not to
control the labor situation. lnct-
identally, 1t will undoubtedly have
the effect OF adding to the number of
persons usefully employed, and de-
creasing the number of persons use
lessly employed In this way tile Or
der will strengthen the military forces
| by making it less necessary to eX-
empt for industrial reasons This Is
an Indirect result, but one of very
great Importance and II exceptions
are made, or postponements are to be
made In the enforcement of this or
/ der, il will require q very careful
study to determine whether those ex-
| eeptons ought TO be the persons IN
whose behalf this petition Is filed or
some other group out OF the large
number affected by the order, many
of whome have already complied with
1t and brought about an adjustment Of
the trades and employments which
| they had previously followed.
81 think it would be an unfortunate
thing to have so wholesome recre-
alton as baseball destroyed, IL it can
be continued by the use of persons
not available for essential war sery-
ice But it would be a much more I'M
fortunate thing to preserve even 50
wholesome an amusement by making
an exception in favor of baseball play
ers which is denied to great classes
of persons in the United states whose
occupations have been held similarly
non-essential. although they are i'm
medately associated with the distri-
button of food and other processes of
our daily life more fundamental than
any mere amusement
1T does happen that baseball is
more integrated than any other oceu-
patton in our country, at least in the
sense that it's successful conduct de-
ponds upon the preservation Of all the
major league teams scattered through
out the country. while in most occu-
pations the work or fight order has
merely series of local and more or
less personal effee,.
II am impressed, too, by the repre-
sensations made that baseball play
ers have been put in less favorable
attitude by reason of their reliance
upon my statement that the question
OF their inclusion in the terms of the
order would not be decided until a
case had arisen.
For these reasons it seems to me
entirely proper and fair to extend the
time during (which the readustment
can take place, merely in order that
Justice may be done to the persons in
volyed, and do, therefore. direct that
the application Of the order be made
, to date from September
THE order for the extension 20 tho
18th of October is denied