The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-06-21


 within the next two weeks plans
 will be laid by a popular and able promoter for a tour of European cities by American boxers of prom thence. Bob Benjamin, the world trot- ting promoter and late manager of Willie Hoppe, the crack billiard play CT and champion, Is back of the tour and if it materializes he will be the manager.
 received a letter from Benjamin anday and in 1t he outlines his plan, which is practical and bound to make good Benjamin is a wealthy man; some have said that he Is a million aire. His home Is in Melbourne, Aus sralia, but for the past six years he has made Los Angeles his home. It was Benjamin, by the way, who brought the Australian cricket team to this country.
 That venture received its birth in Australia. A group of Australian sporting men were congregated in sporting rendezvous in Sydney one night when one in the crowd said that he saw no reason why cricket was not played in this country. Some other chap suggested that it was be- cause the American athlete knew as much about cricket as the Australian
  had to be educated, this gentleman said.
 And that suggestion gave Bob m idea He immediately planned bring ing cricket players to this country. They landed in Frisco and played in every large city in the country. They were here about seven months and while Americans refused to be edu- cated on how to play cricket, being hat lar game of baseball, they patronized the matches, out of curiosity. if nothing else The result was that the tour was a tremendous financial success for Benjamin and the profit he turned over to American and Australian charities.
 ID UT BENJAMIN is now best D known as the sparkling man ager" of the cue wizard-"sparkling because of the many diamonds he sports. Under Benjamins manage ment Willie Hoppe has met with splendid financial success. He has thrice travelled the country from coast to coast and next year he will go to Europe and from there to South Africa.
 Boxing has made wonderful strides on the other side and Bob believes that now is the time to take over the best America can offer in the way of boxerss. He has selected the list of boxers he will invite to make the trip in company with their own man agers. They are: Jack Dempsey. Battling Levinsky. Billy Miske. Kid Norfolk. Mike Gibbons, Soldier Bart field, Ted Kid Lewis, Jack Britton, Willie Jackson, Benny Leonard. Frankie Fleming, Benny Valger, George Chaney. Poe Lynch. Augie Rather and Frankie Burns.
 Benjamin is confident that the Germans will accept the terms laid down by the Allied nations. If the treaty is signed he will get down to business at once and make the man. agers of the above mentioned boxers a proposition. He does not disclose the proposition he will offer. but he does say that he will make every boxer a per-Snal guarantee for a cer- tain amount and a certain number of fights.
 If Benjamin should attempt such a venture it will be entirely up to him, for Europe certainly is boxing mad, judging from all reports and what American athletes now over there have to write back home. Bob is naturally a lover of all sports and likes to have 1t said that he has suc- ceeded in doing what others couldn't do. And he never attempts to ac- compiish the impossible. If he really takes hold of such tour the boxers need have no fear that they will be forced to swim across the great pond, for Bob's middle name is money and he does all that he says he will do.