The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-03-25
Baseball 10 Boom in
France Navy Man Says
Writes Ban johnson Also That Next 10
Business Of Chasing U-Boats It's
JacGie's Big Interest.

baseball viii be the national game ..
France after III" American troops hav"
p.lsSrd ono summer III that land. a.
curuing to C'nIrrnlnti"r Lamar J.. Lr:Lhy
Of Tho United States squadron plying
''su.ncwhcru in tho Atlantic. The ma
val officer makes this assertion IN I"
personal letter 10 President Ban J"Nh-
son G.: The American lcague ;hanklhH
hin, Cor the offer Of baseball equipment
Tor III" squadron
Commander L~ahy had charge OF IN"
first SQUADRON tho United States sent 10
Europe after this country had declared
u;,- on Germany. He has been a mo
business of submarine chasing ever
since. but finds tlrna TO keep IN tou"h
with horne conditions and Is k"cnly IN
ter.s;eI in baseball doinGs.
Il keep III touch fairly we'll with what
is doing from tho home papers and !oi-
, low your movements rather Closely
wrote Commander Lcahy 10 President
| Johnson
Baseball has been receiving great
deal of attention In France since lAe
Americans arrived All tho serve" or
saqi1aylfIl, Aa>7N oas':aaN ,";.'EAs- ;Ah4 4
/ r-r;,t deal Of rivalry mas sprung u5
! among The various units We hop" 20
hay, good ball teams ~ Tho naval
4, ,,rs.s. and the ships arc all preparing
;ort Most OF the ships have cX->oi'rE"
n,aycrs on board. so wo ought 10 have
some very good teams
Baseball Rivalry Among Jaches
There Is tremendous rivalry ~"
/ tween tho first and second OF on? naval
souadrons in these waters. am az
: t-tched 10 the pioneer squadron. ana II
is proposed that We shall represent the
/ American league in the coming comeat
: This summer against the SquAcFoA that
LEFT the States ~ later oAHH'
Tho ships OF our squadron arc quito
we'll equipped with players, and IT IS
my conviction that We VIII DC "o'e ~
develop very strong teams.
~ appreciate very much your gener-
! o,e offer to outfit US. and the men WIZ
i anpreciate immensely the equipment IL
! will lend 10 tho affair h"ener inter-
| est and l am sure that our teams W."
! take special interest In the work. KNOW
! in, that they represent In this sectoh
Of the globe tho great American Icas 4.
! ~, NV mind there is no doubt mat
after ono summer in France oaScb''i
will be the national game III thaI e'ca'
nation, as II Is In America
; Things are going along win Us
ohou. as usual--plcnty Of work and
! nlen,y OF German submarines 10 100"
! ,f,fr Our arst mission, Of course. Is
/ 20 seek and destroy the submarine
and our second duty is successfully 10
! cscor, our ships through the zone.
! Tho ship which | command has hao
r,, encaccmcnts with submarines anu
! ono that was successful w" are c7rhi'-
! ID with the destruction OF oae OF INC
! enemys undcrsca boats.
~ suppose a great many OF YOU
,,sv,-s nav. deserted baseball and JON
! ed ts,e colnrs From time TO time So"
: tbof sor,o notable member o: the oHSs-
( NIL profession has become a private
| i, rho army, or something along tA"'o
srnca admire their patriotism All"
( vjI1inrness 10 do their bit but Ii Se',"N
.oo had that these working "rsani"'
ttnns have to be temporarily broken w
-. shows. nevertheless. the cailb'r u.
{ wa men that 20 in for proirSSi"ha'
| h,e.h,li-rnen who take life seriously
md arp willing 10 play the EoV,rA''l'i' t., I.
pana az we'll as they play their OWL
nh, commander assured the American
/ ,o,cue chlrf that the sailors Will az
nr.,iatc anything tho league rnaf "' w
. b.l, baseball on the coast OF FFaitS''
Ircsidcn, Johnsnn's answer /" th''
roopcs, was prompt ond t" n" c, '"'-
,h., .ho American lcagu" VIII compete
" ,culo the eight ships - '""'ih.'''''
Icohv.s squadron with hlScba'i ''"'-
e.. including uniforms. Ei"N'S' 'l' -
,,I o,hcr uara3hcrnaIid. The '''i'-
I r,,,.i, will DO sent a. quickly as we w.
,,,,rcnen;s OF the men ar" known