New Britain herald., 1918-03-29
BIG MINOR LEAGUE
 VOTES TO DISBAND
International League MaSnates
 Decide to Quit

One baseball league died and an other was born yesterday. After put ting off the evil hour for four months hoping against hope that something might happen to change the situation, the International league. one of the oldest and strongest of the minor or ganizatons, was formally disbanded at a meeting of the owners in this city yesterday.
 Charles T. Chapin, owner of the Rochester club. and acting president of the league, made the announce ment last evening, saying that six owners voted in favor of throwing up the sponge and only two against.
 Everybody was sworn to secrecy and no detail of the vote was given out. It was learned on good author ity, however, that John J. Dunn of Baltimore and James McCaffrey of Toronto were in favor of holding the organization together and continuing for another year.
 MT. Chapin, under authority from the other owners. voted for Buffalo as well as for Rochester The fran ~chise of the former was declared for fcited to the league at the annual meeting last December.
 With the death of the Internation- al league came quick plans for the organization of a new circuit with Toronto, Baltimore, Rochester and Jersey City as a nucleus.
 Newark, Buffalo, Syracuse, Bing- hanton, Wilkes Barre, Scranton and E,lmira filed applications for admit tancc. The last named five cities are %J,o but this organization also is tottering and it is considered advisable to Ombine the strongest cities of the two leagues into one organization.
 John H. Farrell, president of the New York State league and secretary of the National Association of Minor leagues, has been suggested as likely president of the new organization.
 1t is quite possible that a classiti- cation under Class A will be ap- proved in order to keep down cX- penses and reduce the salary limit d, much as possible
 A new name also may be taken, and Liberty league is meeting with favor.
 James J. McCaffrey, Toronto. Can ada; Jack Dunn, Baltimore; Dan Driscoll, Jersey City, and Charles T. Chapin, Rochester, were the club rep resentatives to get in on the ground floor of the new enterprise. Applica- tOn for protection under the nation al association immediately was made
 During the next few days the pro- motors will endeavor to select a de- sirablc circuit, which will embrace the most convenient and promising cities.
 
 ture fairly we'll organized by next Wednesday, when a meeting will be held in this city at the old headuuar- ters, No. 52 Vanderbilt avenue.
 The franchises held by the various owners of the International league were automatically forfeited by the vote, so that the new organization must apply to the proper authorities for the territorial rights given up.
 The players under contract or on the reserve list of the various clubs also automatically became free agents so far as could be learned. although John K. Tener, president of the Na- tional league suggested that the status of these players would have to be settled by the National Associate of Minor League clubs in co-opera- ton with the National commission.
 Incidentally, MT. Tener expressed keen regret that the necessity arose to disband the International league, which originally was organized Feb. l 9, 1892, twentysix years ago.
 It was first known as the Eastern | league but the name was changed in l 1912, when Ed. Barrow succeeded | Pat Powers as president of the 1 league.