The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-10
THREATENS OTAKE
BACK BOSTON CLUB
Gaffney Gives Owners Until
Monday to Pay Indebted
ness on the Braves.
BY FREDERICK G. LIEB.

When the baseball races were shut
down by the Government on September
I Of this year II was predicted that sew
sral big leaIyu clubs would DO unable to
Withstand q period Of war idIeness and
would go under financially. The first
crack Is likely TO take place in Boston.
where the National League club IL
about to go on the rocks.
James E Carney. former owner of
the club and contractor of this city.
said yesterday that he would take back
the franchise next Monday unless the
present owners Of the club met their
obligations There IL a considerable
sum due Carney for rental Of Braves
Field. while the present owners also are
behind In the payment Of interest on
bonds held by Gaffney and associates.
The Boston Nationals had been sailing
along on half a ruddor for some time
and their finances wers not In the best
condition even before Gen. Crowder
Issued his famous Work or Fight
order.
Percy Haughton resigned as president
Of the club to accept q commission al
Major in the chemical warfare service.
The club since then has been without a
real executive. its affairs having been
left in the hands Of Walter Hapgood, its
business manager.
Bought white Elephant.
The Boston Nationals are owned by q
syndicate Of New England bankers. who
purchased the franchise from Gaffney In
1915. thinking they had made a great
purchase. They soon discovered they
had taken over q bloomer. The club
lost money continually from the time
the new owners took charge and has
been on the market for the last two
years. But in these war times there are
few baseball purchasers. Efforts were
made to sell the club back to 0affney
at a considerable loss, but Gaffney
would not buy II
Even during the 1917 eeason the
financial difficulties of the Boston club
were common baseball gossip. The club
continually struggled under its big over
head charges. In his enthusiasm over
the 1914 Braves. which won the worlds
series IN four straight games from the
then supposedly invincibie Athletics.
Carney built Braves Field. with its
$4,000 seating capacity and immense
playing field. in Allston. Stallines had
promised to win the championship for
the next ave years after that.
When Gafrney sold the club In 1916
he retained possession OF Braves Field
and was paid a big rental. With the
high salary paid Stallings and the In
creased operating costs In baseball the
clubs indebtedness to CARNEY grew con-
tinually, so that the club now Il on the
point Of reverting to It's former owners
Carney was one of the few men to
make a big financial success Of baseball
in recent years. He bought the club in
1913 when It was an habltual tail ender
and had fallen to its lowest ebb in the
estimation OF Boston fandom. By win
ming the worlds series in 1914 with q
club that was last in midssason. the
club almost overnight became one Of
tho best drawing cards In baseball.
GaHney Wants House Cleaning.
On Labor Day. 1914. playing with the
Giants at home. the club played to over
10000 people in morning and afternoon
games. using tho American League
grounds at Fenway Park. When the
club was sold In 1915 CARNEY and his
associates were said to have received
double the amount they paid for II.
In the event that CARNEY gets back
in the National League he favors q COM
plets house cleaning. He believes that
when baseball comes back after the war
Il needs a new set OF governors to re-
gain its hold on the public.
Especially does he favor the reorsanl-
sation of tho National Commission and
would favor q one man commission. He
also believes the National League made
a bad blunder in permitting the resigna-
ton OF John X. Tenor as It's president.
He considers Tener the strongest presi.
dent the league yet has had and a man
II cannot replace.