The Washington herald., 1918-12-26
CLARK GRIFFITH
HANDED JOLT
Western Scribe Explains the
''Fiasco of Cleveland;
Gives Inside Stuff.

The fly in the ointment of peace in
the major leagues is no less an i'm
pressive parsonage than Ban Johnson,
president of the American League.
For this We have the word Of Harry
p Edwards. a scribe of Cleveland,
and a very good friend of the car.
who. perhaps unwittingly, shoulders
upon Ban the main responsibility for
having caused the fiasco of Cleve-
lands refusal to go to st. Louis for
its Labor Day games. We quote from
Mr.. Edwards article in The St.Louis
Sporting News" which certain con-
temporaries would have US believe is
supported and edited by the Americas
League:
The action taken by the league at
its rather brief business session was
another endorsement. Even when
Clark Griffith sought to stir up strife
by making a motion that Jim Dunn be
fined for not sending his Cleveland
team to st. Louis for the Labor Day
games. the Washington man failed to
receive any support. Inasmuch as
DuRn acted on the advice of President
johnson. any action taken to punish
Dunn would have been a slap at the
league executive
We thank YOU, Mr.. Edwards friend
of Ban johnson, for that honest con-
fession. You have supplied the miss
ing link II has been known long
that Johnson dictated the policies Or
the Cleveland Club Nobody before
had the temerity to confess the fact
The situation in Cleveland is a by
word and a joke Of organized base
-,
realize the fact.
But when Mr.. Johnson begins to
dictate policies and to dictate them
contrary to the Interpretation Of
base ball law. as he interpreted the
National Commission ruling in ref
erence to Scott Perry. then it is time
for Mr.. Johnson to be put in his
right stall And if Mr.. Johnson
wishes anybody to go to the mat
with him on the Cleveland PROPOSE
ton. he need not be disappointed in
case his present opponents fail to
face the scratch at the joint meet
ing here on January Is.
The Cleveland argument is too
ridiculous for consideration. Be
cause the personal interests of Mr..
Johnson happen to be involved is no
reason why organized baseball should
gloss over one of the most I'M
sportsmanlike acts in the history Of
the sport. Charles A. COmisky. Of
Chicago. happens to be a greater
power in the American League than
the presumed car of all baseball.
COmmy is going to the mat on this
point II the johnson clique think
they are going to play "hush-a-by-
baby" they are badly fooled.
L.. ~
land chatter:
With the National League instruct
ing HeydIer to vote for some one
other than Garry Hermann as
chairman of the National Commits
SIGN. it does not look as il the
American Leagues vote OF conf
dence in Hermann would have any
effect other than to cause Garry to
take his medicine a trife easier.
According to the agreement that
exists between the two major leagues.
Hermann cannot be forced upon eth
or league. If either desires another
chairman. another chairman must b.
selected. So Garry will have to con-
sole himself with the American
League vote OF confidence and also
that he served same sixteen years dis
pensing justice TO the supreme court
OF baseball
Getting right down to facts. Herr
mann can be proud Of such a record
and had he voted to award George
Sisler to Pittsburgh instead OF the St
Louis Browns possibly his own league
never would have demanded his re-
tirement There is no doubt that
Pittsburgh never has forgiven Garry
for that ACT. and when Barney Drey-
fuss gets sore he is slow to forget
Ban Johnson is more OF power in
the national game than he ever was
before A year ago he wanted the
magnates to agree to a shorter sched-
ule for the 1918 season. They then de-
Clined- They came around to his way
Of thinking at the meeting held in
Chicago last week. adopting other
economical measures which. it is be-
lieved. were fathcred by President
johnson.
I was much gratified at the Chi
cago session to have certain club
owner say to me that he was sorry
that he voted last August to have the
season run through Labor Day. saying
it had cost him lot Of money to
make it possible for Clark Griffith to
get in a couple of Sunday games at
5 home.
The four Western clubs would have
been a unit in voting for a suspension
OF the season on August r. was his
assertion. There was nothing to be
gained by a continuance. President
johnson was severely criticised for his
desire to close up early Now we
realize that he was right"
This was not the only remark made
to indicate that johnson is a bigger
man in baseball than he was before
the war