Evening star., 1918-07-27

of the draft organisation, in which he
directs that application OF the work
or-hght order be made to date from
September 1, The memorandum:
"A petition has been filed for an
extension of time within which pro-
fessional base ball players shall seek
essential or productive employment,
and the order asked is one which viii
ground Tor this request it Ia alleged
that there are but 237 persons affected
by the so-ca.lled work flight order;
but that, in spite of this small num-
Der. their taking would lead to the
immediate breaking up Of the entire
game.
1T is further said that the notice is
too short to allow the leagues to
adapt themselves to the ruling, and
that the failure of the clubs to adapt
fact that the Secretary Of War caused
to be known through the newspapers
that the question Of the application of
the order to base ball players would
not be decided until an actual case
arose.
"A hearing has been had on this
subject by the provost marshal gen
eral, who reports to me that 1t IL not
clear to him that the game will have
to be discontinued even II the order
Wants to Strengthen Army.
'-The purpose Of the work -or-nght or
der. SO far as the War Department is
concerned. is to strengthen the military
forces Of the country, and not to control
the labor situation. incidentally, it will
undoubtedly have the effect Of adding
to the number Of persons usefully en-
ployed, and decreasing the number Of
persons uselessly employed. In this
way the order will strengthen the mill
tary forces by making it less necessary
to exempt for Industrial reasons men
who would otherwise be taken into the
military service.
This is al, indirect result, but one of
very great importance, and II exceptions
are made, or postponements are to be
made in the enforcement Of this order,
1t Will require very careful study to
determine whether those exceptions
ought to be the persons in whose behalf
this petition is filed or some other group
out of the large number affected by the
order, many of whom have already COM
piled with it, and brought about a re-
adjustment of the trades and occupa-
tions which they had previously fol-
lowed.
Favors Continuing Game.
It think it would be an unfortunate
thing to have SO wholesome q recrea-
tion as base ball destroyed II it can
be continued by the use OF persons
not available for essential war serv-
ice. g
But IT. would be q much more un-
fortunate thing to preserve 50 whole-
some an amusement by making an ex-
ception in favor of base ball players
which is denied to great classes of
persons In the United States whose
occupations have been held similarly
non-essential, although they are inn
mediately associated with the distri-
button Of food and other process Of
our daily life more fundamental than
any mere amusement.
1T does happen that base ball il
more fntegrated than any other occu-
patton in our country, at least in the
sense that its successful conduct de-
pends upon the preservation Of all the
major league teams scattered through
out the country, while in most occu-
pations the work-or-fght order has
merely a series of local and moro or
less personal effects.
II am impressed, too, BY the repre-
sentation made that the base bali
players may have been put in q less
favorable attitude by reason Of their
reliance on my statement that the
question Of their inclusion in the
terms of the order could not be de-
cided until a case had arisen.
For these reasons it seems to me
time during which the readjustment
can take place merely In order that
justice may be done to the persons
involved, and I do therefore direct
that the application OF the order be
made to date from September lat,
The order for the extension to the
18th of October IL denied"