The Sentinel=record., 1918-07-21
AMERICAN LEAGUE
 CLOSES TODAY
RULING OF SECRETARY BAKER ON WORK OR FIGHT NOT
 TO BE CONTESTED.
President Johnson Issues Statement Closing of Season Will Give Chance to Readjust Affairs Which Win Benefit Baseball.

l Chicago, July 20.-American league parks will close their gates for ihe duration of the war after tomor- | rows games unless unexpected de- velopments occur, it was announced tonight by Byron Bancroft Johnson, president of the organization, to- night
 No appeal from Secretary of War | Bakers interpretation of the work or fight ruling as applied to base ball players will be made and no effort is planned to finish the season with teams recruited from veterans above the draft age and amateurs below the draft age. Such an at tempt, baseball officials say, not only | would be an imposition on the fans
 but would also be more or less of a suterfuge in view of the administra- | tion's edict.
 American league club owners will meet in Cleveland Monday at the call of President Johnson to wind up the | seasons business and discuss the ! many financial tangles which will re- suit from the sudden interruption of | the nations pastime. National | league club owners, a few of whom are reported as favoring efforts to | weather the storm, will meet in New /! York Wednesday to discuss the sit uation.
 | Baseball, as represented by the ! American league, has accepted the | situation without an outward mur. mur of protest, but regrets were | openly expressed at what has been taken as an implied imputation of l slackerism in the issuance of such a drastic order. It was pointed out | that twice last season the American l leag que offered to close its parks ii
 such action would help in winning the war but that the idea was dis 1 couraged.
 l Now that the administration wishes are known, it was said thf I
 of the five club owners whom Presi dent Johnson was able to reach bl
 telegraph today favored closing thu
 season at once. Just what will be
 come of the players and umpires
 contracts will be determined a
 Cleveland Monday Later an entir
 reconstruction of the governmen
 and machinery of baseball is planned
 "We will wind up our affairs c.
 best we can and build for the future
 said President Johnson. "We vii
 extend every cooperation in ou power to the government This tim, IIwhile professional baseball is cast eside for the national emergency vii provide the opportunity to rehabili
 tate baseball. Evils have crept into the game Wasteful exfravagance nr
 the one hand and lack Of proper gov.
 crnment on the other have been oyel
 looked in the hurry and hustle of tht
 times Major league clubs must b,
 better governed. Minor leagues mus !
 scarcely shown ability to goverI
 themselves We will start at once
 to formulate plans for the future plans which will minimize the busi.
 ness end and emphasize the spor
 and recreation so far as is possible
 'l think the national emergenc,
 ultimately will be of good to organ
 ized baseball in giving it a mucl
 needed opportunity to clean house II
 it's business methods. and the mem , bership of some Of it's present fam fly
 At the Chicago National leagu, headquarters it was announced to night Cincinnati would play a doubl header here Monday. The team i
 scheduled to go east Monday. but i was announced that the trip hal | I.on nft