The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1918-07-24
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The work or fight" order is not
expected to interfere with the running
Of the International sweepstakes at
Speedway park July %.
Every driver who will compete and
every man connected with the man
agement Is we'll over the draft age.
The successful driver of the modern,
high speed machine with its airplane
type motor must possess exceptional
| judgment and self-control that comes
| only with mature years. The five en-
trants to qualify are:
Ralph Mulford, United States: Louis
Chevrolet, France; Arthur Duray, Bel
GUM; Dario Resta, England; Ralph
De Palma, Italy.
Chevrolet is the daddy" of them
all. having just passed his flfty.third
birthday. The daring Frenchman has
been manipulating the racing wheel
| for more than twenty years and IS
| still flashing along with the best of
them.
Duray, who, though a native of Bel
gium. has Just finished three and a
half years of fighting with the French
army, is 49 years old. He, too, has
, been driving for more than twenty
years, and In 1913 established the
worlds speed record of lat miles an
hour over a one kilometer course at
Ostend, France
De Palma is close to the 40 year
mark, while Resta and Mulford, the
kids among the best drivers Of today,
are each 3S years old.
Bob Larmore, the Cardinals utility
inf al 1xyb {,
| on record ever to play with a major
club while still student In high
school, Is about to enlist in the navy
Larmore first attained prominence
as an athlete at the Central High
school in st. Louis. This spring he
was given a trial with the Cardinals
and, making good, signed a contract
with that club. He continued to pur-
sue his studies in the high school, how
ever, and, upon the closing of the
daily sessions, would make his way
to the ball park and don a uniform.
/ A few weeks ago he was farmed
out TO the Houston club of the Texas
League, but when that organization
suspended operations because CT the
war, he was recalled by Jack Hen
bricks.
War Secretary Bakers ruling that
baseball is non-essential occupation
ana that the players come under the
work or fight" order was not unex-
pected.
1t is entirely in line with the
straightforward, decisive, determined
way Washington officials are going
ahead to accomplish Americas one OBJ
ject. That Is. to win the war.
They mean to let no obstacle stand
in the way.
Baseball moguls argued that:
The parks and properties tied up
would be rendered worthless and idle
If the players were included in the
order.
The players are highly trained in
baseball as an occupation and know
no other trade.
The public needs professional base
ball-the great national game.
It's true that the parks, including
grand stands and other equipment,
would be of little value for anything
outside of baseball. But the magnates
have only themselves to blame Had
they showed the proper patriotic spir-
1t from the beginning by making those
properties produce thousands of dol
lars for various war funds while earn
Ing fair return for the owners, the
government might have seen the mat
ter in different light But while
leaders in other major sports, tennis,
golf, etc, proceeded to center their
efforts entirely on boosting the recruit
OF men, the staging of benefit matches
and all other methods of aiding in the
prosecution of the war, the magnates
were doing what?
With one or two exceptions
they were busily engaged in cut
ing down their own expenses, in
creaSing their own revenue by
raising admission prices and in
seeing how few war benefit
games they could stage and get
by.
When Clark Griffith started the bat
and ball fund to provide our boys in
France an in Z. s. cantonments with
equipment fans and sport writer's sug-
gested that several days be arranged
at every park for the benefit of the
fund. The magnates finally arranged
to give a percentage of one days re-
ceipts to the cause.
While they were opening their
hearts in this way they saw to it
that pop corn, peanuts. ice cream
and drinks netted them increased
revenue. |
And they sought to save their skins |
by arguing that the ball players were |
unframed in any other occupation. |
They asked that two or three hundred |
fullgrown men, in perfect physical con-
dition, capable of furnishing 100 per ,
cent service in an essential occupation |
to aid in successfully prosecuting the |
war, be allowed to continue devoting |
two or three hours a day-on bright |
days-to playing.
They argued that the public needs !
the great national game to keep |
healthy.
Washington called the turn on all |
arguments.
The properties may have to lie
idle except for special occasions
for war benefits. But they are
not playiug any vital part in the