Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-20
BASEBALL GETS
GREATEST JOLT
Parks Will Likely Close Up
by Reason of War Secre-
tary,s Order


Professional baseball got the shock
OF its life to-day when it woka nm
10 md that by a decision of secre-
tary OF War Baker all pIavers of
arStt age must work or fight The
oFoer viii take away so or SIS per
cent OF the present teams so that al
'erhatiVe are to close parks during
'he rest of the war. or to immediately
notify players between the ages of Of
%nu .s 81 Ito to obey the Baker ruling and
fror, tha III lhe gaps with youths
w.ftb , me lots under the age of 21 or
Win veterans over the 81 mark
The Baker order was roundI,. 90.
uehhed to-day by baseball man a.
ei snas IL mas not yet been made TO in
M actors and singers. The CON
h'lon is that baseball is a Iepita
snow business same as movies
OF theatricals. However. II is ~
niored from Washington TO-DAY that
IN uecldlng against the entertainment
ahorded by baseball, the secretarv ~
val mas been forced to realize that n
.. MouIu De inconsistent to apply the
"oih OF nght rule to baseball and
not TO other entertainers.
90 together with the baseball nlav-
IS me actors and the singers who
u hshtlns or working age, must
nsase IN useful productive oceupa-
tions, or they will be mada s,,Sieet
an immediate call for service in tbo
army. vice IN the
secretary of War Bakers decision
that baseball playing is not a usefni
productive occupation in the sense of
the dratt regulations, rendered to-
gay VIII hit baseball the seyerest
DO" IL mas ever received II means
that from now on no player between
the ages of p and 80 years car -
gage In the game professionally ex-
cept for such brief period as NAV he
allowed him by delay in calling him
to the colors.
Those who have wives and cbildrar
depending upon them must get ont of
the game and enter useful occupations
IL they are not to be subject to imme-
date draft
The game. if it is to continue n,ust
be carried on by men abova 81
by youths under 81, with the cor
tainty, however, that in the near
future, probably before the close of
the present baseball season, the draft
age limits will be both lowered and
raised, so as to make the pIavars
above 81 and below 20 subject 70 tha
same drastic ruling.
1t had been the hope of baseball,
managers that the government would
allow them to finish out this season
without further interference with the
organization of the different teams.
This. however, is not to be-
The case in which the secretary of
war gave his decision to-day was
that or Ainsmith, catcher of the
washington American League team.
Ainsmith has a wife and child, and
had been placed in Glass 2 in the
registration lists.
The local draft board held him for
service despite his deferred cIassifica-
tion, because he was engaged in no
useful occupation, and was therefore
liable to immediate conscription.
he appealed to the district at
torney. who affirmed the ruling of the
local board. The case was then ap-
pealed to the secretary of war. The
case of Ainsmith is typical of that
of every other baseball player below
the age of 81, whether he has de-
pendants or not.
II he registered in a deferred class
he must get out of baseball and into
a useful occupation: otherwise his
deferred classification will be with
drawn and he will be drafted i'm
mediately for the army.
1t is estimated here that this ruI-
ing will affect 80 per cent of the ma
jor league baseball players of the
country.
In dealing with the Ainsmith case,
Secretary Baker considers and dis
poses of the one great argument, that
baseball affords entertainment and
relaxation to the public far more val
liable, ii is believed. than any other
service that might be performed by
the players themselves.
The secretary does not dispute
this general assertion, but he insists
that at this time the public must
sacrifice opportunities of both enter
tainment and relaxation for the ad-
vancement of the nations war work
Not being a baseball enthusiast
himself, the secretary offers the sug-
gestion that the game may be con-
tinued by men above the draft age,
suggestion which does not materi-
ally help the situation from the
standpoint of the baseball manager
or the baseball public.
The secrctary's ruling will not hit
the stage or the movies" very hard.
Actors of reputation with the public
are generally above draft age, and
those who will be affected by the
new order can be easily spared.
1t may take a lot of chorus men
and supers. but 1t will reach few of
actual standing in the dramatic pro-
fession.
So the theaters and the movies are
likely to suffer very little, but base
ball as a profession. is to be sus-
HaH he af 1F
John K. Tener. president of the
Internatioal League. comments: MY
personal opinion Is that II very ball
player between the ages of 81 and 81
is forced to cease playing baseball at
once. professional baseball parks will
have to close their gates immedi-
ately.'
Ban Johnson, president of the
American League gave out: whether