Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-08
SOLDIER MAGNATE
PLEADS CAUSE Of
INVALID PLAYE rs
"Cap" Huston Of YankS, First
Baseball Man to Enlist,
Praises Hugh Miller Pernna-
nentIy Crippled,
BY Alexander sullivan.


Basehall's most patriotic magnate,
Lieut.. Col T. l.. Huston, who enlisted
as a captain early in. 1917, is back in
New York. The genial partner of
Colonel Jake RUPERT in the
ownership Of the Yankees, who
was the first baseball man to en-
list doesn't say word regard
ing his experiences abroad. He is CIV
en- to praising the other fellow" par
ticularly the lads from the baseball
ranks, many of whom have been in
jured. 1t is the Caps earnest sug
gostion that all of these crippled be
well provided for ly the conductors
of the sport
"On the ship that brought me
home began Huston, was Hugh
Miller, the former s. Louis player.
He wears distinguished service cross
for bravery in action. He captured
two Germans at Chateau Thierry, but
later was badly injured by a bullet
that broke his leg. As result one
limb is an inch shorter than the other
and he is on clutches. OF course he
will never be able to play again.
1T is for boys such as Miller, base
bali men who proved real he
roes under fire Of the enemy, that
baseball should provide. | understand
that President Ban johnson of the
American league is in favor of using
the entire proceeds of the next world
series for tbs Establishment Of a home
for wounded players. Believe me, he
has my heartest support
ITO show you what interest there
is in basebalI-on my boat there were
some 1900 soldiers. Some way or
other it became noised about that |
was part owner of the Yankees. For
the rest of the trip | was constantly
being interviewed by lads regarding
all sorts of baseball topics,
Il think that the letter that / sent
out in 1917, that was published all
over the country, taking baseball men
to task for not rallying in greater
numbers around the flag, bore fruit,
for last year the sport displayed Just
as much patriotism as the men of any
other enterprise.
There is no bitterness among the
soldiers against baseball men for
alleged Stacking, Why. those boys
were so busy over there that they
hadn't a chance to think of what was
going on in this country. Although
there have been many stories printed
to The effect that there was lots of
baseball going on all the time in
France, | didn't see very much of il,
as those Germans kept us on the jump.
There probably was lot of baseball
r'ayed at the rest camps, but there
wasn't enough baseball played to
cause it 20 take such foothold in
either France or England that it will
become an international sport. right
away. II the war had lasted another
year. though, it might have attracted
many of our allies.
You can't say too much about the
heroism of our boys. We all should
feel proud of the great fighting quail
ties displayed for them. Fer a time
ii looked mighty dark for The allies.
hut IS soon as our boys arrived over
there in sufficient numbers to make
themselves felt, the tide of battle was
turned in favor Of the allies, and at
the finish it was simply a cleanup.
II think that baseball will enjoy its
greatest seas in history this year
! am sure that there will be many
candidates from the army for jobs on
the various major and minor league
clubs as result of experience in the
camp"
Huston was the first baseball man
in the country TO enlist. He enlisted
over there hffo"e Hank Gowdy, the fa-
nous Boston National star. Huston, /
who had been a captain in the Span |
ish-Americau war started fer Cincin- |
mott the day war was declared and |
Offered his services as a captain of en- |
Pineers He organized a regiment the !
Sixteenth engineers, ana they went |
n AItt~