The Washington herald., 1918-03-17
War Has Placed Boxing
Just Where 1t Belongs
Soldiers Have Shown Manly Art Is Clean
and Clever Sport, with Result 1t Is
Now Very Popular.

, Will 20 20 every hamlet, town, city
ana state In this great country and
viii batter down the predjudics which
has andicapped the game.
Further than that the popularity Of
the sport with the nghtinE forces
Is bound TO uncover much unknown
talent and don't be at all surprised %
find a worlds champion developed
from among the men now serving
with the colors.
There is one thing that must Be
borne in mind by all who want 20
see the game prosper. Questionable
promoters must be driven out Of the
game. They have done much 10 give
IL a black eye with many Of its best
friends and they must not be per
mitted to block the advance Of the
sport now that the reaction wave To-
ward popularity il rolling upward.
All Sports FIourish.
II all Of the States eventually legal
ize boxing. and am optimistic enough
to believe that they will, then We viii
see the bsnishment OF the crooked
promoter and the get-rich-essy
fighter.
mean by that, & will be possible
to blacklist everywhere, by co-Opera-
ton among the officisl commissions
regulating the sport, the promoter who
stands for a framed-up fight and the
boxers who pick set-ups or engage IN
brotherly love bouts. They are the
ones who must be eliminated.
And while touching upon the boost
which the army is giving the sport,
not only boxing, but football. base
ball. soccer and every other branch
OF athletic pastime iE bound 10 ben
eft
! Lieut.. Gus weIch. whom all pigskin
followers will recall as the marvellous
punter of the Carlisle Indians team OF
a few years ago. told me that he he
lieved more men learned about the
game Of football in 1917 than in any
ten-year period Of the games history.
He based his statement on what he
observed at Camp Meade, where he is
stationed and was a star Of the on
GERS team. There were over fifty foot
ball teams in the big cantonment, and
besides the rivalry among the players
on these teams, there were thousands
upon thousands OF soldier rOoters vino
became attached 20 the game, They
had never attended a football con-
test In their lives before.
OF course baseball has had its sp-
peal for many years chiefly because
of the honesty OF the sport and the
fact that seldom has the slightest
taint attached to the professional play
ers. see that the soldiers are 60
ing TO use 1900 bssebalIS ia the
camps the coming season. That testl-
fes strongly enough TO the attach
ment OF the American boys for the
national psstinse. Don't he SURPRISED
I II they create enough interest ''ovCr
there" to have leagues spring Up n
France and England. Then We could
have an international world series
which would be my idea OF games
worth going TO see.
I want 10 mention now that the coun-
Try owes Clark Griffith a world o'
credit for the work he has done and
is still doing to promote sport smonE
the soldiers. His bat and ball fund
furnish thousands Of sets Of athletic
equipment for the fighting men. Il
has been hard. systematic. patriot
ic plugging on the part OF the Wash
ington team manager and HE salts
faction must come from the know
edge that he has done more than hIs
bit
AL in all. the world war with It's
horrors will bring about some real
benefits. aside from teachinE the
Kaiser a lesson he will never for-e'
It will send back 20 their homes
hundreds Of thousands Of men trained
to regular living. steady habits. re-
specters OF discipline. and last. but
not least, new devotees OF manly in
door and outdoor psstimes.