Evening star., 1918-07-20
STATEMENT OF SECRETARY BAKER
RULING BASE BALL NON-ESSENTIAI,

Tho Secretary Of War authorizes
the following statement in tho mat
ter OF the appeal Of Edward Ainsmith
order No. 1898, serial No. 1877, local
board No. 9. District of Columbia
Tho record in this case presents the
following facts:
Edward Ainsmith, = resident Of the
District of Columbia, is of draft age
and is a registrant under the juris-
diction of local board for division No.
OF the District of Columbia His
occupation is that of base ball player
on the Washington American League
base ball team. He was served, by
order of his local board, with form
No. 1895. directing him to appear be-
fore said board and to show cause
why deferred classification in class
four. previously awarded him on the
ground of the dependency of his wife
and child, should not be Withdrawn
on account of the character of his
occupation The question presented,
therefore, was whether the employ
ment of Mr.. Ainsmith as a base ball
player is a non-productive employ
ment within the meaning of the regu-
lation of the President authorizing
the reclassifcation of persons having
deferred classification who engage in
so-called non-productive occupations
The registrant and his employer ap-
peared, presented all the evidence
they desired. and the local board
held. on the facts of this case. that
the occupation of base ball player
is non-productive in the sense of the
regulations, and ordered that the reg
istrant's deferred classification and
order number be withdrawn.
The district board for the District
OF Columbia affirmed the decision of
tho local board, and this appeal seeks
a review of that determination.
The language of the regulation per-
tfnent here occurs in paragraph c of
section 121-K, as follows:
Persons, including ushers and other
attendants engaged and occupied in
and in connection with games, sports
and anusements, etc"
Obviously base bell players arc per-
sons occupied in a sport, so that the
ruling OF the local and district boards
must be sustained as plainly correct
II is suggested. however, that the
regulation ought to be changed to
exclude base ball players from their
operation. and this appeal is not
really based upon any doubt as to
the correctness of the determination
made by the local and district boards
regulations.
The arguments in this behalf arc
three in number:
/. That base bail Is a business in
which very large investments OF
money have been made, involving the
erection OF properties. useless and un-
prohtable unless permitted to be con-
s1nued In the use for which they were
erected, and that the application OF
the regulations to members of profess
sionai base ball teams would SO far
disorganize this business as to de-
stroy 1t and render this property tenn
porarily valueless.
2. That the occupation Of a profess
sfonal base ball player requires a
very high degree of specialized train
substantially exclusive devotion OF
the time of persons aspiring to he
come professional players, 80 that
mere Is not much likelihood Of such
PLAYERS having any other available
occupation. or fitness for any Other
occupation. at all adequate in its re-
turns to maintain for themselves and
their families the standard Of living
which has been established on the
earnings In their professional occupa-
J. That base ban has been accepted
40 the national sport of the people OF
tho United States, that It affords
wholesome outdoor relaxation and en-
1o1ment to large numbers Of the
American people, and is to many
workers and business men of. the
United States almost the only oppor-
tuntty for such recreation; so that tc
bring about the cessation of profes-
sfonal base ball would work a social
and Industrial harm far out Of pro-
portion to the military loss involved
by the exemption of the limited num-
Der Of players in question.
Upon each of these grounds sepa-
As to the first: The situation Of pro-
fessional base ball differs in no wise
from other civilian peace-time busi-
ness which by reason Of the stress Of