Evening star., 1919-12-11
A. |. REBELSST|LL
IN FIGHTING MOOD
usted From Board of Di-
rectors, They Continue
After Johnson's Scalp.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.


organization here yesterday. Just as
vas outlined in these columns, the
net result of Il busy and turbulent
day was the election of new board
of directors from among the club
owners supporting Johnson and the
unhorsinC of Charles Comiskey, who
was voted out of the vice presidency.
Frank Navin of Detroit being named
to fill the Office for years held by
Johnson's arch enemy.
Although balked at every turn in
their attempt to scalp Johnson. the
rebels are not discouraged. They
are going to keep a-trying. as evil
denced in the three additional legal
actions instituted against Johnson
and his supporters yesterday. The
exact nature of these new suits was
not disclosed. but one is said to Charge
conspiracy in the Mays case, another
has to do with contract Johnson
entered into with the Western Union
Telegraph Company and the other is
an custer proceedings, by which 1t
Will be attempted 10 remove Johnson
from the presidency.
The two meetings vesterdav-that
of the board of directors and the an
nual session of the league itself
proved the most tempeStuouS in the
history of the organization. and prob
ing of the hitherto turbulent National
League. which this year was calm
and rneventful.
Summed up. the outcome was that
the insurgents were steam rollered by
the Johnson faction. They assert
they are far from being hattened.
however. and certainly the wind was
not Knocked out of them. for they
are doing as much talking as ever
about getting" Johnson, although it
cannot be seen they are any nearer
to accom- plishing their purpose. One
thing the hq har
is absolutely no foundation for the
chatter about the insurgents harbor-
ing intentions of seeding from the
league and forming a new organiZa-
tion. This yarn was branded as bunk
at the time it first made it's appear
ance. and a final quietus was put on
1t when Comiskey, Frazee and Rup-
pert not only announced that they
intended to stick in the league. but
dehed any one to put them out. So
the fight has resolved itself into
personal war on Johnson as an indi-
vidual, rather than n battle by the
rebels against Johnson and his sup
porting club owners.
Frazee voiced the attitude of his
associates after the meeting when he
said:
Yes, it all can be fixed up in five
minutes. All they have to do is to
get together and remove this barnacle
tJohnson) from base ball. And it
might as we'll be done in FIVE min
utes. it will be done If it takes year.
| This fight is for principle and for
the projection of every property right,
and there can be no letup until the
, removal of this impediment in base
ball.
The day OF strife opened with the
meeting of the directors. when the
majority Of the members pulled what
| is characterized as bone" by at
tempting to put Comiskey in as chair
! man of the meeting in place Of John
son, named in the constitution as the
proper person to preside. Johnson
and Dunn walked out of the meeting
when this was done. Realizing their
error. the majority members of the
board sent after Johnson to request
him to return, with the assurance he
would be placed in the chair. but
Johnson could not be found, so the
| board went ahead with its meeting.
| 1t adopted resolutions censuring
Johnson for his acts in the Mays case.
! condemning his course in assigning
/ Umpire Hildebrand to spy" on Man
ager Barrow Of Boston during the
( Mays case and denouncing various
| other of his Official acts
| One resolution was to the effect
; that. inasmuch as Johnson had broken
the conditions Of his employment
J with the league, he receive no fur
ther compensation. and that he be
} prevented from using. the leagues
. funds. Another was that, inasmuch
| as section IL OF the constitution re-
! quires the league 70 elect annually
/ tall three of which positions are held
| by Johnson) the directors decline to
i recognize Johnson's authority. re-
| pudiate his claim to Office and de-
has with the league be declared null
! and void, and that "any action con-
! tinuing or electing Johnson as an
official of the league, or continuing
| compensation to him. would be detri-
mental to the interests Of this league
Then came the league meeting, at
which the main fireworks were shot
off and the first thing done was to
securely pigeonhole the report of the
directors. as was predicted would be
done in these columns yesterday. Ora
tory then was in order and Johnson
was subjected to a verbal barrage
that could be heard out in the corri-
dors. Comiskey and Rupert being the
leaders. Neither Johnson nor his sup
porters made any effort to reply to
these attacks. They simply sat back
and waited until the proper time.
when they voted Frank Navin of De-
troit into the office OF vice president
in place Of Comiskey and elected
President Minor Of Washington. Shibe,
Bali and Navin OF the Philadelphia, St.
Louis and Detroit clubs, respectively. os
directors in place OF Comiskey, Rupert,
FraZee and Dunn.
! Some hope for the restoration Of peace
In the circuit Is seen in tho fact that the
insurgents yesterday got q chance to
let off some of the pent-up steam in theii
systems. Having gotten their feelings
off their chest. SO to say, they may cool
down and by the time johnson calls the
league into session again for an ai-
journed meeting early next month the
rival factions may be able to get to-
gether and patch UP their difficulties.
This will not be done unless the rebels
recede from their position Of demanding
Johnson's scalp, however. His hackers
are determined TO keep him in power,
and unless The insurgents decide to like
this condition they will be permitted to
lump it.
An adjourned meeting of the league,
in addition to the scheduled meeting,
which always is held in February, will
be necessary to transact the routine
business of the league, for about the
only thing accomplished along this
line yesterday was the agreement to
return to the 154-game schedule, start
ing April Ia.
Manager Griffith faced a busy day
today. He had an appointment with
. President Hermann of the Reds to
discuss Il transforming trip with the
world champions and Nationals dur
ing the training season next spring
and with Managers Huggins Of the