New-York tribune., 1918-09-11
Commission Turns Down
Pleas for Square Deal by
Joker Named IF"
By w. J. Macbeth


cago Cubs to- day came back and bat
tied the proud Boston Red Sox to
standstill The National League entry,
by grace of superlative cunning on
the part of Big jim Vaughn, admin
istered a to shutout over the team
supposedly invincible at its Fenway
home and got back prominently in the
calculations for premier baseball
honors once more.
Vaughn. the Goliath of southpaws,
pitching as we'll as (though no bettcr)
than on his two previous starts, which
resulted in reverses, finally triumphed
in this sculstirring drama of intense
action which Is closing out profess
sional baseball until after the war. He
took the measure of Sammy Jones. the
young right-handed phenom Of the
Sox, principally because luck on one
or two occasions broke right for the
burly Texan, the first time he had
been graccd by the smile of the tickle
dame in three bids for her favor.
By and by we shall try to portray,
in our humble way, few of tho high
lights and shades that added another
masterpiece to the 1918 world series
collection. Something more to the
point is in order frst how the fair
name of the nations game was saved
from disgrace on it's deathbed.
A Rhapsody of Praise
And right here strike a rhapsody of
proicO for 40 ava ri iorC nj0var IuHOCa
answering loyalty and integrity. de-
spite his cupidity, has kept the game
pure and sweet as it is. Once more the
player proved himself, in his love
for his profession, as high above
the sordid solon as heaven is
above the bottomless pit. To-day,
had the player not placed above
principle CAS- he saw it, his OBJ
legation to supporting public, organ
lied baseball would have gone down
and out to its wartime sleep with
pair of the blackest eyes known to
rough h-house comedy.
That strike of the players, which the
writer did not believe the slaves of the
tight listed solons dare make, de-
veloped before game time to-day and
delayed for more than an hour the fifth
tilt OF the current world series.
The committee which had in charge
the grievances of the players searched
in vain all last night for the National
Commission. But the commission had
ducked, in its customary backstairs
policy; had gone to see portrayal
of the drama "EXperience," the young
lady of the Copley Plaza switchboard
Informed every one. The jaded COM
mittee, sometime about l a. M, re-
tired to repose against the prospective
nf no M q
crossed the trail of single commits
Sloner
But this morning the committee was
on the job bright and early. Not so
the two deans of the triumvirate. They
didn't show until almost noon. They
had extreme difficulty in arranging for
hearing with the august body which
represents organized baseball and
sometimes acts as its chairman.
Finally thc conference took place in
the sanctity of the commission room.
Players Serve Warning
The players served warning that the
two teams would not go on with the
world series unless some new adjust
ment was made as to the division Of
the players pool. Hermann drew n
typewriter copy of the commissions
report of last spring, which contained
a little joker ''if," giving the trium-
vlrate power to put over the ridic
ulously meagre compensation likely to
reward the efforts of players who have
made this world series the greatest of
all baseball history.
THE commissi ions hands are tied"
said the rotund chairman of the Ma
tional Commission. "The two major
leagues, and not the commission, are
responsible for the terms herein con-
tanned. To break those sacred cove
nants it would be necessary to get the
consent of the two leagues. The
commission is sorry, gentlemen, but
what can it do?"
Harry Hooper. spokesman in chief
Ter the players committee, seemed
somewhat nonplussed in the presence
Of the great. He put the players case
poorly before the obdurate commission.
And he ended what the commission in
terpreted as 4 rather weak rebuttal
somewhat after this fashion,:
"Gentlemcn, the players interested
had no voice In framing the terms of
the worlds series. How can they ex-
rcct a hearing as to modification of
terms? | suppose we shall have to
throw ourselves on your tender mer-
cies"
Hooper meant it for irony. but the
thick headed Gar of the triumvirat tc
and his man Friday interpreted the
speech as a backdown from the warn
ing that 10 game would be played bar
ring some sort of compromise. The
rroselytes of the arrogant solons
spread the news that the players had
backed down.
Fans in Puzzled State
SO the gates were thrown open and
the crowd came, one of the biggest
fact They swarmed into the park, full
patiently for the appearance of the
first athletes. But no athletes ap-
peared When the National Commits
sion finally made its appearance, the
majority in hilarious mood of cele-
bration over the alleged victory of
baseball power, it was informed that
the strike was on indeed. Players of
both clubs refused absolutely to dress
till assured of some sort Of compro-
mise.
Minute after minute and half hour
after half hour the issue remained at
q deadlock The commission refused
to see the strikers. The strikers in
their civilian clothes, played pitch in
their quarters.
Emissaries and hangers-on and out
siders among old baseball managers
players and the like, who had a real
interest in the game, tried frantically
20 bring the warning factions together
These realized what tragedy it would
be to have the big crowd meet a disap-
pointment Of the threatened proper
tions.