The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-27
BASEBALL REPRfEVE
GRANTED BY BAKER
Absolvcs Big Leaguers From
Work or Fight Order I'm
til Labor Day.
DENIES OWNERS PLEA
Sets Sept. I Instead of Oct. Is
for Windup Of Season
in Majors.
DENIES OWNERS PLEA


y,,cn of time. making September I
IN. date upon which the so-called work
az fight order will apply to players Of
Ne big leagues. The ruling will per-
vi. the major leagues to finish their
vars schedule and thus will give the
baseball magnates their desired oppor-
unity Of ascertaining whether profess
.onal baseball may be continued dur
W. the war without using men who
might be more proftably employed for
general welfare.
Mr. Bakers decision grants the pc
,l,Ion which representatives OF the
American and National leagues filed
vAh Provost Marshal General Crow
aer excepting that the request for an
extension until October is is responded
70 BY granting time until September
only
The ruling announced by Secretary
Baker did not come as a surprise. 1t
Mtame known early in the week that
ne only phase of the question which
NJ. Baker was considering was whether
., not an extension of time should be
ranted. Suggestions that each local
hoard pass on individual cases without
regard to the uniform rule indicated,
when II was decided by the War De-
psrtment that baseball was not es-
| ential, did not appeal to Secretary
Baker
Apparently the point made by the
baseball representatives which had the
most weight with Secretary Baker was
| that the notice they had received was
100 short to allow the leagues to adapt
themselves to the ruling. The policy of
the War Department has In all matters
pertaining to the draft been to infiict the
minimum amount OF hardship necessary
u on particular industries or particular
Individuals.
While regarding II as unfortunate to
have so wholesome recreation as base
hail destroyed. the War Secretary said
Il would be a much more unfortunate
thing to preserve even so wholesome an
amusement by making an exception In
favor OF baseball players which Is de-
MED to great classes OF persons In The
United States. who were Immediately
associated with processes of the ma
tonal daily life more fundamental than
any mere, amusement.
Secretary Bakers Order.
Mr. Bakers statement. which was in
the form of q memorandum transmitted
10 Provost Marshal General Crowder
for the latter's guidance, was as fol-
lows:
petition has been filed for an ex-
tension of time witt in which profess
sonal baseball players shall seek es-
sental or productive employment. and
the order asked is one which will ex-
tend until October Is, 1918. As
grounds for this request it Is alleged
that there are but 237 persons affected
! BY the so-called work or fight order.
but that in spite of this small number
their taking would lead to the imme-
date breaking up of the entire game.
It Is further said that the notice Is
TOO short to allow IT. leagues to adapt
themselves to the ruling and that the
failure of the clubs to adapt them
selves to the ruling Is due to the fact
that the Secretary Of War caused 1t to
be known through the newspapers that
The question OF the application of the
order to baseball players would not be
decided until an actual case arose.
A earring has been had on this sub
ject by the Provost Marshal General,
V:o reports to me. that 1t Is not clear
TO him that the game will have to be
continued even IL the order is made
Immediately applicable.
To Strengthen Military Forces.
The purpose Of the work or fight
order. so far as the War Department
e concerned Is to strengthen the mill
ury forces of the country and not to
control the labor situation. 1nciden-
tally II will undoubtedly have the eff
feet Of adding to the number Of per-
sns usefuly employed and decreasing
the number OF persons uselessly en-
royed In this way the order will
strengthen the military forces by maxi
ing it less necessary to exempt for in
tuEtpi aI In ath
wise be taken into the military service.
This is an indirect result but one Of
very great Importance, and II excep-
tons are made or postponements are
to be made in the enforcement Of this
order II will require very careful
study 20 determine whether those ex-
ceptions ought to be the persons in
whose behalf this petition is filed or
some other group out of the large
number affected by the order. many
Of whom have already complied with
II, and brought about a readjustment
o. the trades and occupations which
they had previously followed.
| think 1t would be an unfortunate
\ ming 70 have 50 wholesome recrea-
: ton as basel ball destroyed IL 1t can be
conducted by the use OF persons not
tVa.lable for essential war service.
fortunate thing to preserve even so
wholesome an amusement by making
an exception in favor of baseball play
rs which Is denied to great classes
o PERSONS in the United States whose
occupations have been held similarly
hoh-eSSential. although they are i'm
hediately associated with the distri-
ei'ion Of foods and other processes of
elr daily life more fundamental than
az mere amusement.
Extends Time to sebtember.
It does happen that baseball Is more
migrated than other occupations in
our country, at least in the sense that
US successful conduct dependg upon
NE preservation OF all the major
Ea2u" teams scattered throughout the
\ "lntry, while in most occupations the
N9rk or fight order has merely a series
y l'cal and more or less personal eff
am impressed. too. by the presen-
hhon made that the baseball players
may nave been put in a less favorable
'Nlude by reason of their reliance on
my statement that the question OF
|e!F Inclusion in the terms OF the or
uet would not be decided until a case
had arisen.
F'r these reasons II seems to me
e"'Ifely proper and fair to extend the
WMe during which the r9adjustment
,ah TAX" place. merely In order that
.1,u'e may be done to the persons in
.''Fod' and | do therefore direct that
me APPLICATION OF the order be made
70 date from September /. The order
Ior me extension to October Is is de-
MED.
;GIANTs TODAY WITH PITTsBURGH.