The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-07-20
Baker Declares That Ball Is NOn-ESSential
So Rules Secretary Baker for All Men Within Draft Age Major League Teams Will Be Hit Hard Result of Ainsmith Case

which ball players and their club owners hung their highest hopes, and was also regarded by the Secretary as the most important. It was:
 3-That baseball has been accept ed as the national sport of the peo- pie of the United States, and that 1t affords wholesome outdoor relaxation and enjoyment to- large numbers of the American people and is to many workers and business men or, the United States almost the only oppor- tunity for. such recreation; so that to bring about the cessation of profes- sional baseball would work a social and industrial harm out of propor- tion to the military loss. involved by the exemption of the limited number of players in question.
 ''The third consideration is, of course, the serious one" says Secre- tary Baker, "fs the one which has brought about the present appeal to the President. The stress of intensive industry and occupation in America in normal times is such as to give the highest importance and social value to outdoor recpeation. It may well be that all of the persons who attend such outdoor sports are not ir need of them, but certainly a very large preponderance of the persons who attend them are helped, physi. cally and mentally, and made more efficient industrially and socially, by 1 the relaxation that they enjoy. War Demand Comes First But the times are not normal. The | demand of the army and the country are such that we must all make sac. rifices, and the non-productive em. | ployment of able-bodied persons, use. ful in the national defense, either a! military men or in the industry ant commerce of our country, cannot bt | Justified.
 'The country will be best satisfied if the great selective processes bJ which our army is recruited make! no discriminations among men, excep those upon which depend the preser vation of business and industry O | the country essential to the successful 1 prosecution of the war"
 In his final denial of the appeal anC his approval of the finding of thu | lower board, the Secretary intimate( ] that, the scope of the order might b. | broadened, rather than contracted, a the baseball interests had suggested when he said:
 '"The scope of it's provisions shoult be so enlarged as to include othe classes of persons whose professiona occupation is solely that of entertain ing.
 Our people will be resourcefu
 enough to find other means of recre
 ation and relaxation if there be no
 enough persons beyond the usefu
 military or industrial age to perform
 such functions, and they will be wis
 and patriotic enough not to neglec
 the recreation necessary to maintai
 their efficiency merely because the
 are called upon, in the obvious pub
 lie interest, to sacrifice favorit
 form of amusement"
 The Phillies will be the hardest h by Secretary of War Bakers ruIins The club now carries r men, o whom 16 are in the draft age; Bosto 22 men, IS in the draft age; Cir
 cinnati, IT men, 15 in the draft age Pittsburg will lose IF out of 20; tn Giants Il out of 21; the Dodgers, 1 out of 16; St. Eouis Cardinals, 13 ot of IT, and the Cubs, 19 out of 22
 In the American League, the Tar kees will lose 20 out of 23; Chicag is out of 23; the Athletics, IT ol of 20: Cleveland, IS out of 20; tn . Red Sox, 15 out of IS; the Tigers, 1 : out of 20; Senators, 15 out of 19, an
 the Browns, 20 out of 23