New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-07-20

| erection of properties useless and un-
profitable unless permitted to be con-
| tinued in the use for which they were
! erected; and that the application Of
! the regulations to members of pro-
| fessional baseball teams would so far
! diSorganize this business as to de-
| stroy it ana render this property
| temporarily yalueless.
| "TWo-That the occupation of a
| professional baseball player requires
| Il very high degree of specialized
| training and skill, procurable only by
d substantially exclusive devotion of
the time of persons aspiring to be-
come professional players, so that
! there is not much likelihood of such
| players having any other available
| occupation, or fitness for any other
occupation. at all adequate in it's re
! turns to maintain for themselves and
| their families the standard of living
| which has been esta bIshed on the
earnings in their professional occu-
pations.
"Thrce-That baseball has been ac-
! cepted as the national sport of the
| people of the United States that IL
| affords wholesome outdoor relaxation
! and enjoyment to large numbers or
| the American people and is to many
| workers and business men of the
| United States almost the only oppor-
| tunity for such recreation; so that to
! bring about the cessation of profess
| sional baseball would work a social
| and industrial harm fir out of pro-
! portion to the military loss involved
| by the exemption of the limited
mum Der of players in question.
Upon each of these grounds sep
| arate comment is appropriate.
AS to the first. the situation of
! professional baseball differs in no.
wise from other civilian pcace-time
| business which by reason of the
| stress of war and it's demands upon
! the industries and energy of the
! country must be content to bear
whatever burden is imposed by tenn
| porarv inactivity. While the number
of men affected by the order may be
| sufficient to disorganize the business,
many of the players are beyond the
| present draft age. and it is by no
| means certain that complete disor-
ganization of the business would fol.
! low adherence to the order as made.
! LAS to the second: Baseball play
crs are men of unusual physical abil-
| ity, dexterity. and alortness. 1t has
| been necessary for us in this country
| to institute processes of rapid indus
| trial training and it is quite incon-
| CeiVable that occupations cannot be
| found by these men which not only
! would relieve them from the onus of
! non productive employment, but
| would make them productive in some
| capacity highly useful to the nation.
| This change will be welcomed by
the individuals involved, and it's use
| fulness to the. country, both direct
! and indirect, is obvious.
"1he third consideration is. of
course, the serious one. and is the
/ one which has brought about the
present appeal to the president. The
| stress of intensive occupation in in
| dustry and commerce in America, in
normal times. is such as to give the
| highest importance and social value
| to outdoor recreation. It may we'll
! be that all of the persons who at
I tend such outdoor sports are not in
| need of them, but certainly very
| largo preponderance of the audiences
! in these great national exhibitions
are helped, physically and mentally,
| and made more efficient. industrially
and socially, by the relaxation that
| they there enjoy. But the times are
not normal; the demands of the army
! and of the country are such that we
! must all make sacrifices, and the nom
! productive employment of able
bodied persons, useful in the national
defense either as military men or in
the industry and commerce of our
| country. can not be justified. The
| country will be best satisfied if the
great selective process by which our
army is recruited makes no discrim-
nations among men, except those
upon which depend the preservation
country essential TO the successful
prosecution of the war.
| IT am therefore, of the opinion
that the regulation in question should
not be changed, but rather, that the
scope of its provisions should be sc
| enlarged as to include other classes
| of persons whose professional occu-
| patton is solely that of entertaining
| Our peopIe will be resourcefu1 enough
| to find other means of recreation. il
| there be not enough persons beyond
! the useful military or industrial age
! to perform such functions. and they
| will be wise and patriotic enough not
to neglect the recreation necessary to
maintain their efficiency merely be-
| cause they are called upon, in the
| obvious public interest. to sacrifice a
| favorite form of amusement.
'"The appeal is denied and the or
der of the local and district boards
| ic firm cd