The Washington herald., 1918-01-13
New Contract Handed the
SmokebaIl King Calls for
Reduotion-No Trouble
Expected by Grif.

Walter johnson, the Kansas cyclone
4. has felt the financial PRESSURE Of th'
worlds war, which the baseball mag
mates openly admitted feeling a few
days ago at their meetings in New
York and Chicago.
The Nationals smoke ball king was
handed a one-year contract which calls
fer quite a reduction in salary for this
season.
johnson signed a wartime contract
four years ago which it Is claimed,
called for a price between $1,000 and
$4,000 a year, but this expired last
fall.
Although Griffith has not heard from
the ''wiz-bang" artist, he does not an
ticipate any trouble in getting the bis
smoke to fall into line. Johnson's con-
tract which recently expired was made
by the Old Fox himself after Walter
had had slight run in with directors
-of the local club. II will be remem.
bered that Johnson Jumped to the Fed
eral League and that the Old Fox
Immediately journeyed- West and
straightened< out the matter.
Grin believes Walter will be fair IN
the terms that are offered on this sea-
sons contract. Johnson has always
been well paid for his services since
Griffith has been the manager of the
Nationals. although IT must be ad-
nitted that Walter Johnson IS the big
drawing card Of the team while or
the road and at the Florida avenue
grounds. Griff is not courtilg trouble
with the big ace and is confident that
he will shortly hand in his signed
contract.
The Old Fox has sent out contracts
to each of the local players who have
80 far not enlisted or been caught in
the draft. He Is expecting a return
Of these papers with each mail during
the next few days Griff would not
admit that each Of the players wert
forced to stand a cut in salary, but
he intimated the same.
Clyde Milan Is the only member OF
the Nationals whose contract runs
over another year.
II begins to appear that Tampa,
Fla, will be the training camp of the
Nationals this season. The Old Fox
has not heard any word during the
past week from Alfred T. Heath,
president of the Augusta Baseball
Club, in reference to training in tnt
Georgia town. and since the bid from
Tampa Is one that can hardly be
turned down, it will probably be the
Florida palms for the Nationals
8 Grifith yesterday wired Tampa In
regards to their bid and will no doubt
close out with the Florida people
early this week.
Charlie ("Gabby'D Streets. former
battery mate of Walter Johnson. is
in the city after spending ten weeks
at Fort Slocum. N. Y. "Gabby" is
strong in his praises for the army
for all ball players. Streets will be
stationed at Fort Myer as a ser
geant in the Engineers Corps. tC
finish his training before being sent
over there.
Charlie said that fourteen Of his
seventeen teammates of the Nash
vile club had Joined the colors, and
that the Southern League club would
be practically out of commission this
coming season unless the fans were
willing to watch new pnaterial in its
development.
Streets expressed his surprise thai
50 many of the ball players OF the
major leagues were not in the army
He said II was the place for the
fighting men and not on the diamond
where they were before the puEhS
all the time. They should be n
the trenches helping to fight the big
war, is the way he puts II.