New Britain herald., 1919-06-25
REFEREE QUESTION NOT' SETTLED YET
Benny LeODard Is Latest Name to
 Be Mentioned Tor Bout

-C4cQC, unG E0.---Atter 2 day or rest Jess Willard yesterday afternoon attacked his sparring partners with the greatest enthusiasm. Not -only did he whale Jack Hempel, Bill Scott, Joe Chip 8Hd Walter Monahan with vigor and uppercuts, but he seemed to be quite as we'll pleased when the quartet were pounding him in the body or face. Even when Scott un- Intentionally landed a low blow the champion grinned and went on with out a murntur
 Willard seemed to be in high good humor and entirely satisfied with his condition and future prospects. The only thing that seemed to worry him was the fear that there would be empty seats in the arena.
 T can't fight well before empty benches" he said to Tex Rickard, and I hope you will have them all filled before the bell for the first round"
 Rickard assured him that there would be no vacant seats on the day of the battle.
 Dempsey also put in an active day. It was his twenty-fo four birthday, and it looked as though the young man was trying to celebrate the event by handing another knockout punch to Bill Tate.
 Dempsey waited till the second round before beginning hostilites, and the sizzling hooks, swings and straight ones that the challenger sent across kept Tate on the jump. Demp- sey reached Tate in the body several times with rib crackers, but the negro weathered the storm and escaped from the arena without any ringing noises in his head.
 Dempsey Slips Twice.
 Twice during tho engagem ent with Tate, Dempsey, in his efforts to con- meet with his sparring partners jaw, slipped to the ring floor, but was up in 8 jiffy and banging away with both hands.
 The bouts with Jack Malone and Jamaica Kid were full of action, Dempsey keeping them moving at top speed from gong to gong. Malone and the kid are speedy and gave the chal- 1enger excellent work in that direc- ton.
 Tate, who is big, strong and a good boxer, fills the bill in the matter of size, so that Dempsey is getting good practice and is familiarizing himself with all the obstacles the champion I1sas be expected to throw in the way he Challenger on July 4. RI M of Dempsey's helpers practice sInsIing his right glove under the left ! arm a habit that Willard has con- ! tracted and which Dempsey's train CTS evidently think will be attempted K by the champion. Dempsey apparent ly is perfecting a left for the body with a view of inducing the cham pion to release his clutch. That was the effect of the blow on the training staff
 The deadlock over the referee con- tinues and while Rickard and the members of the Army, Navy and Ci- william Board of Boxing Control are hopeful of a settlement within a few days, there is much unrest over the unfortunate tangle.
 Conferences have been held ali day, in which Mayor Schreiber, Rickard, and Gavin and Emple of the board and representatives of the To- ledo A. C. have participated. While Gavin thought there was a disposi- ton on the part of the obstructionists to take fairer view of the matter, he was not sanguine of an early adjust ment.
 By way of compromise, the name of Benny Leonard, the lightweight champion, was submitted to the diff Terent factions and is said to have been received with favor. There is, however, considerable question as to the lightweight title holder consent ing to act. The chief obstructionist Is Willard. who is said to be deter mined to have Jack Welsh, the man who refereed in Havana, act as third man in the ring.
 It is obvious that Dempsey would not consent to the selection of any man named by Willard, and vice a versa. Therefore the task before the H Board of Control is to get the prin- a ripals to agree on some man not picked by either.
 Willard Won't Yield. Willard seems to contend that be- cause he holds the championship he \ should have the privilege of naming the referee and he stands solid as Gibraltar on that platform He has gone so far as 10 intimate that he will call off the bout unless he has his way. The Toledo A. c. holds that the solution of the problem lies in the appointments of Ollie Pecord, with whom neither of the prin cipala ever has had any dealings. Calvin said that Willard was the most difficult man to reason with he ever had encountered, and that had the Army Board known what vex- Etious problem was before it, it never would have accepted the rcsponsi- bility of selecting a referee for the bout. Unless there is a speedy agree s ment it is not unlikely the Boarc will name a man and say to the prin' cipals "Take him or leave him"