Evening journal., 1918-08-20
NO SPORT Page IN
STARS and STRIPES
Explains Why 1t Will Pub
lish No Sport Page Till
Peace Comes
SCORES "STARS" IN
THE SHIPYARDS

The overseas angle on organized
baseball and Its troubles is TO be found
IN the issue OF The Stars and Stripes
for July &c, copies Of which are arrlv-
ing on this side about this time. The
issue Of the 26th explains why the ON
clal publication Of the American EXpe.
ditlonary Force has seen nc to abandon
its sporting page. and also smashes TO
smithereens one 0f the arguments pre-
sented in the brief the National Com
mission sent up to the Secretary Of War
when lt was ilghting TO have big-league
ball players exempted from the work
or-1ght order; the argument that the
big-league scores were eagerly watched
by the sons Of Uncle sam overseas.
The editorial notice Is headed, in big
black type: "The Sporting Page Goes
Out"
Then comes a box, three columns
wide and half column long, as fol-
ows:
This IS the last sporting page The
Stars and Stripes viii print until an
Allied victory brings back peace.
The reasons for the decision 10 dis
continue an ancient Institution are al
most as numerically great as Allied
shells crashing into German lines.
They are at least sufficiently thick TO
pulverlze or blot out any objections that
might be offered by those who have
yet failed 10 see the light.
This paper realizes the great aid
sport has given In the past In develop
Ing physical stamina and enduring
morale among thousands OF those now
making I'd the nations army.
70 recognizes the value OF such train
Ing for the future. 10 was sport that
FIRST taught our men to play the game,
10 play Il out 90 play It hard. IL was
sport that brought out the value OF
team play. of long, hard training and
the knack Of thinking quickly at vital
point OF the contest.
But sport as a spectacle, sport as an
entertainment for the slde-llners, has
passed on and out. Its glamor In a com
betitlve way has faded. Its leading
stars are either In the iron harness OF
war-or forgotten - until Germany Is
beaten.
The Stars and Stripes appreciates In
ull sport's abiding value and the count |
less thousands Of well-trained men II |
has sent into the line. But these men
have given up the glory OF the sporting
page boost and the old action snapshot. |
Thev are not to be mentioned today be-
ssuse their job has taken on another
lue.
There are tennis and golf champions, |
football players galore, track stars
without number, boxers and ball play
srs who have traded the easy glory they /
knew az home for the hard, unglorifled |
grind OF the 6. A. s. or the bloody heri-
lsge OF the western front. And their
fame here belongs with the mass, not
with individual mention.
Nelther Is there space, entertainment
nr policy In attempting to handle the
scores Of hundreds Of ball games played
ali over France. A 4O-page paper would
aot make a beginning. And those left
nut would remember the Offense longer
lhau those included would remember
The space allotted them.
What, then, Is left, IN the main, for
porting page printed In France within
hearing Of the gamer Such headlines
Is fhese-"Star Players Dive for Ship
yards or Farm 10 Escape 'Work-or-
Tlghp order'-"Cobb is Thinking Of En-
isting This Falr-"Fulton and Demp-
lev Haggle Over Purse'3"Willard Re
buses 20 Fighr-and so on through
countless list that doesn't make any
100 heroic an appeal 10 those grinding
lway upon the Job back OF the lines or
10 those living and dying In the mud
and dirt Of the front 5000 miles away
from home.
The Stars and Stripes is printed for
The A. Z. f., not TO help perpetuate the
senown Of able-bodied stars, who. with
Unusual qualifications for war or use
mi work, elected to hear only the
Business as Usual" slogan above their
fOuntry's call for help in the greatest
war she has ever known"
There Is but one big league today for
This paper 10 cover-and that league
winds its way among the S. o. S STA
lions scattered throughout France and
lnds az the western front. Any work
That Is part Of the big job. either In the
lines or back Of it. from Chateau
Thlerry TO San Francisco, IS Of utmost
value. But entertaining the people
back home" isn't part Of the big lob,
nor do we believe the bulk OF them
want 70 be entertained in any such /
way.
When IL finally came 30 a point where .
Rny number Of able-bodied men were {
rushing into various occupations at the
point OF the boot, when The Secretary Z
y War was forced to produce a ruling
hat would make hundreds Of these
men work or fight" as the squabblo
snd scurry grew day after day, this {
paper felt that it no longer had space I
left for such activities-not with so
many events Of far greater interest TAX {
Ing place within sight and hearing OF a
is working staff. Z
There Is no space left for the Cobbs, I
Ihe Ruths, the Johnsons, the Willards
md the Fultons. in The ease and safety {
lf home when the Ryans. the Smiths, :
he Larsens, the Bernsteins and others S
lre charging machine guns and plug .
ying along through shrapnel or grind c
Ing out t2-hour details 200 miles in The h
rear. :
Back home the sight Of a high fly Z