New-York tribune., 1919-01-21
Ban johnson
will Not Sign
Them Papers
Signature of Garry Herr
mann Also Missing ON
New Major-Minor Pact
By Charles A. TAYLOR

Ban johnson has gone away from
here. 1t was predicted and foretold
by all the ''foolthsayers" on the in
side and outside of baseball that big
Ban B. was going to stir up an awful
rumpus during his visit to the
metropolis, but it would seem that
Battling Ban has been cured, partially.
Only one blast came from the trum-
pet of Ban as he boarded the Con-
gressional Limited for Washington
yesterday, just as old dusk was be-
ginning to fall. And Bans blast was:
"Why should "sign those papers %
The papers referred to by the head
OF the American League Git is time we
lntlmated just who Ban B. isl, consist
OF the documents drawn up when the
MINOR leagues won their startling vic
tory for democracy after threats that
seemingly caused all sorts of shivers
to creep and crawl and slide up the
splnes of organized baseball.
Ban B. refused to sign and that's the
sum and substance of the baseball
news OF the first day of the week fol-
lowing the "long parliament" in which
majors and minors planned to chop off
every obnoxious head they could reach
Judging form this farewell of Mr..
Johnson, it is ESSENTIAL that the refer
ence, to MIN be varied in each para
graph TO avoid repetition. Ban b. is
perfectly content to abide by the de-
cislon reached that the minors paddle
along their own little chosen river
while the "big craft" sails the onen
seas. p'''
Parting of the Ways
According to Ban BIS parting note
definite partition line has been con-
strrcted and both majors and minors
Will IN the future be free to delye
Where they may for the stars in en-
otyo they happen to glimpse over the
diamond horizon. The only question
wll be who has the prior claim.
And now the reason for Mr. Jobn-
sons sons departure from the old midst to
1hc 1'hc capital, desolate and forlorn since
the exodus of the head of the whole
Democracy works.
The ruler of the American League.
1T Is said, is most anxious to use his
lhnuence at the seat of government TO
secure the early release from the ser
wee OF various American League ball
tossers who it is expected will be
neeueu greatly when the opening of
e1so ohe new era era of baseball and everything
else' perhaps, takes place. Mr.. John,
son So has been to Washington before.
ne ought to know all the strings, if
not the proverbial ropes.
ne refrain of the same sonr was
warbled yesterday by Augustus Herr.
mann who has for many years served
as the head Of the National Commits
SION. Garry" announced that he
nadn signed any papers either. thus
puttlng to shame the garbled report
.na' ,ne new agreement to supplant
.ne oid existing between the majors
and minors had received his official
commendation
Garry, who is soon slated to go
down the river" admitted with his
last gasp. however that he had given
MS verbal 0 K to the old papers.
May Supplant Hermann
=, After dismissing Mr.. Johnson and
mr.. Hermann from the controversy it
pehooves chronicler to dig again for
the sake of filing the allotted space
And here's the dig: A man we'll
known in army circles is expected to
"c Hdily place as head of the
National Commission He will be an
outsider as far as the politics of the
game are concerned, but one of those
fellows who has always followed base
ball far enough to see many a contest
under the shadows of Coogan's Cliff
and to the accompaniment of the mur-
murs and mutterings of the old Har-
lem.
TO turn from magnates to players.
word should perhaps be said regarding
the stand of Jake Daubert, first base
man par excellence of the Brooklyn
Dodgers. Jake absolutely declines to
be shifted to some other club until he
has reached a satisfactory arrangement
with his old employer, Charles Fl. Eb-
bets.
Mr. Daubert insists that he is going
to press his lawsuit for back salary
against the Squire of Fatbush, but
Jake may after all be merely chanting
the chorus led by the grand moguls:
I'VE don't really know where we're
gong, but we're on our way"