New-York tribune., 1918-03-21
Fate Of League
InDoubt, Chaplin
Is Pessiirnistlc
Only Hope for Continuation
of International Circuit
Lies at Albany
By w. !. Macbeth

The International League has not as
yet been officially counted out. But 1t
is in such dcplorabe state that the
beginning of the fatal toll seems but
the matter of days. A meeting was to
have been held in this city next Mon
day to determine whether or not the
well-known Glass AA circuit should
suspend operations during the war.
That meeting has been indefinitely
postponed by C. 7. Chaplin, president .
of the Rochester club and chairman or
the board of directors, who has acted
as league executive since the reslgna-
tion of Edward G. Barrow.
The writer saw Mr.. Chaplin in AL !
bany Tuesday last Mr.. Chaplin seemed
very~pcssimistic as to the future OF the
International.
"The date of March % was a tcnta-
tive one" said he. land the atmosphere
has not cleared sufficiently to justify
conference at this time. | do not
care to discuss the case in detail fur
ther."
Waiting for Legislature
1t was surmised from Mr.. Chapin's
few remarks that the only hope for
action on the part Of the international
! League clubs as circuit lay in the
possibility of Sunday baseball being
legalized in the State of New York.
This boon cannot possibly be effected
by the beginning Of next week. Hence
the postponement OF the international
League meeting.
The Toronto and Baltimore clubs have
fougrt valiantly to prevent disband-
ment of this most prominent minor
league But since the schedule meet
ing here, more than month ago, diff
ficul.es have continued to pile up
against their efforts. Sunday baseball
alone can alleviate the many difficult
ties. Only the substitution of two
good New York cities for Montreal and
Richmond. making the circuit COM
first place, and there are no available
towns of the Empire State that could
make the grade without the advantage
of Sunday baseball.
In addition to all this. new diff
Guilty has arisen in Buffalo. Joseph ]
Lannin threw up the sponge in that
city, placing the club in the hands OF
receivers. He has claims amounting
to some $4,000 against the bankrupt
organization. Certain Buffalo sports
men offered $4,000 for the franchise
Of 100000. They proposed to purchase
the grounds for 100000. liquidate th'
debts accruing from the Lannin regime
and operate the club on the residue.
In other words this would have mean
apayment to Lannin of some $4,000 casl
only for title and goodwill to the who'll
works. Lannin, however. wished $40,
600 for the franchise, the debts to b
borne by the syndicate, so the schem
fell through. That was before tn
fo rmer Red Sox magnate quit on tn
Rsons
Lannin Has Upper Hand
AT recent sheritf's sale the Buffal
was secured by a party representa-
the interests of Buffalo business n er
This syndicate was given preferenc
ever Lannin who attempted to buy i
to protect his losses. Lannn prompt
countered by purchasing the real es
tate. This, he says, he will develo
for realty purposes. So the situato
in Buffalo stands this way: those wh
a purchased the franchise have n
- grounds; Lannin holds the upper hant
Unless Lannin's claims are Statistic
>, there can be no baseball in Buffalo.
IL With Sunday baseball assured
u New York there is little doubt tn
Bisons would be continued. In thu
rs event those who own the franchis
would either make reasonable tern
&C with Lannin for his claims and for
~ ~ lease or Lannin would repurchase tt
'e franchise at fair figure. But as ma
le ters stand baseball is checkmated
IS Buffalo. Without Buffalo the Intern;
a tional League cannot think of startin