New-York tribune., 1919-08-12


In response to the invitation of Cole
New York club, Harry H. Frazee an
owner at the Biltmore yesterday. T
and majority of the board of direc
st which time Car Ban practically W
The call for the meeting, which ap-
pears in the accompanying column,
specifies among other things that the
board of directors of the American
League will consider and take action
n the matter of the relations of the
president to the league and to the
board Of directors. and to consider the
management of the affairs of the Office
of president Of the league by its pres
ent incumbent"
This amounts, in fact, to declara-
ton that Ban Johnson, the autocrat OF
his league, the man who appointed HIM
self GEAR" of organized baseball, is to
be impeached and tried by the board of
directors. Under the constitution the
directors have the power to overrule
the president and to remove him. if it
IS deemed necessary for the welfare of
the league.
The board of directors this year is
made up of Colonel Jacob Rupert, of
the Yankees: Harry H. Frazee, of the
Boston Red Sox; Charles Comiskey, of
the Chicago White Sox; jim Dunn, of
the Cleveland Club, and Ban Johnson,
ex-officio member. Dunn, whose rela
rions with Johnson are close, declined
to attend the meeting called by Rup-
pert Johnson did not attend, though
ne was in the city.
Just what the outcome OF the hear
ing Thursday will be is hard to pre-.
dict. The three directors who have
called the meeting may decide to oust
Johnson and appoint receiver or
temporary president, provided the czar
Hoes not give a satisfactory account of
ms stewardship.
In the mean time Boisterous Ban is
PAIRING for time. His attorneys re-
9uested the attorneys for Colonels
Rupert and Huston to consent to a
postponement Of the hearing of the in
tunction case of Carl Mays, the pitcher
over whom the biggest and bitterest
baseball war started. Johnson was to
ave appeared before Justice Luce in
the Supreme Court, to-day to show
cause why he should not be restrained
permanently from interfering with
'.-ys pitching for the Yankees.
Things happened so rapidly and IN
xpectedly yesterday that the czar was
eft breathless, and even speechless
ct the first time in his life. Ban
ohnson hitherto had considered him
IF the league. He held every office
IL. WIN Luc t&CcplIOii vi tuc DtdtN
directors. While he couldn't be an
tire board, he was a member of 1t.
Directors Finally Act
fvcry year a board Of directors has
EN- appointed, not that the board was
opposed to do anything, but just as
ger Of form. Ban johnson under
od that the members of the board
Would be yegmen; that is, gentlemen
lao had nouning to do but to shout
the affirmative when the cZar spoke.
TO Johnson's CONSERVATION he woke
81 the cold grey dawn of yesterday to
I'D out that the board of directors
lor the current year was made up of
ncn who could act and would act. To
axe matters worse they did act
borrower, they are inviting him to q
fpocal meeting to show cause why he
6uid not be evicted from the league
which he had personally controlled for
.eas anu IL winch he had held all
l4a N.so to show cause why
directors should continue
TO vote him salary of $4,000 yeaf
.AVNauces for axpenccs
l,,4iar juNnts along the circuit
&c hardest blow of all is the knoWl-
se that the board of directors is en-
,.scrcd to inquire into his conduct
the Office of president, secretary,
treasurer, etc. 1t was positively revo-
utionary and typical of world that
4ddeniy had gone Bolshevik. No word
aas vet been received from Johnson
.s to whether or not he will respond
the summons The chances are
at he WILL for the three members
institute majority of the board.
rhe meeting at the Biltmore was held
i secret There were present at the
athering Colonel Jacob Rupert and
,'olonel T. l.. Huston, owners of the
fankees; Charles Comiskey, owner Of
r White 'Sox, and Harry II. Frazce.
sner of the Red Sox. They issued no
,atemcnt save giving out copy of
ne call to the meeting next Thursday.
h the announcement that they con
-ituted "A quorum of the board of di-
.etors and had the power to call such
. meeting.
Big Surprise FOR Ban
Iuis was something OF a surprise,
but it seems that it is all provided for
"A Section 10 of the American League s
constitution 1t was also something OF
surprise to Ban Johnson, who has
not been bothering with the American
League constitution for some time past
What was the little matter OF con-
stitution to q car
Ban had been the "cook and the
captain bold and the mate Of the Nancy
Brig and the bossum tight and the
midship mite and the crew Of the ca
tam 5 g1g on the old crd1t 80 long
that he was not aware that any other
persons had any right in the naviga-
ton Of the good ship, Baseball, but
himself. He would have scuttied the
old ship al the very suggestion of such
thing
It's a war TO the knife OF paper
now. But IN the air somewhere the
dove OF peace seems to be lowering
and there is feeling that a compro-
mise may be reached somehow for the
sake OF keeping the national pAstims
cut Of the war. But tho eornpromisD
can only be with Ban Johnson back lns.
water, and to great lengths too
Colonies Rupert and Huston. with
the whip hand or the fleeing Gar. felt
that they could be gracious In the mat