Evening star., 1919-11-30
BAN PICKS CHICAGO
FORLEAGUE CONFAB
Johnson FIouts Directors,
Confident He Can't Lose
in Fight Now On.
REBELS LACK TWO VOTES
ny DENMAN THOMPSON.

After maintaining 4 sphinxlike at
titude that was lengthening into weeks
following his famous threat to see that
the offenders are properly punished"
Byron Bancroft johnson last night Is
sued formal call for the annual
meeting OF the American League to
he held in Chicago December 10. In
picking Chicago for the yearly gather
ing Johnson is following custom but
is foutinG the majority members OF
the board OF directors. Charles "
tomiSkey of Chicago. Jacob RuppeN
of New York and Harry FraZee Oh
Boston, who already have presumed
to name New York as the place for
the meeting on the same date In is
suing the call for the meeting from
league Headquarters in Chicago las
night President Johnson said:
while the constitution Of the league
specifies the date on which the league
meeting should be held, it/tfocs not
name the place. but as IYeSident of
the league l think | have the privi-
iege of selecting the city/
Il have no comnentj To make on
the action of the three directors who
are seeking 10 summon the csuD
owners to New York"
Ban Accepts Chn nIlenge.
Johnson's action sets at rest srecu-
the cali for the meeting to await the
outcome Of legal proceedings institut-
ed against him in New York 10y the
directors and is another indication Of
his willingness to accept the gage OF
Vattle and fight the CoTiSkcy- Rup
pcr--TTasee faction to n finish.
What Observation-Disclosures plan to do
in the event Johnson rcsists their cr-
forts to oust him from the presidency
has been given much publicity. II
covers wide field, ranging from court
action to prove he is unlawfully
holding the position of president, to
buying two of the five clubs hacking
him and then voting him out of office.
The bolshevist directors are a de-
termined bunch and will leave no
stone unturned to accomplish their
ends. but just how they can hope
to be successful is hard TO figure out.
What the majority of the club own
ers have in mind, although they have
not talked as loudly nor to such length
as their opponents, is simply to go
into their meeting, elect Johnson as
president, if they consider it necessary
to go through this formality in view
of the fact that he still has eleven
years of n twenty-year contract to
serve. and elect a new board of direc-
tors from among their number to the
exclusion of any of the present mem
bers, thereby stripping the insurgent
clique of any pretension OF power or
authority.
Insurgents Lack Two Votes.
The possibility that any of the five
club owners now supporting Johnson
can be weaned over to the opposition
is secuted by persons familiar with
the attitude and character OF these
men. 1t is a moral certainty that the
Washington, Detroit, Philadelphia and
|. lr1h Johnson
in this controversy no matter what
developments occur. There also is no
reason to expect that Owner Dunn OF
Cleveland will reverse himself and
line up with the revolutionary ele-
ment, but if the improbable should
occur and the Cleveland vote be
won over, the Comiskey faction would
have accomplished nothing, as with
out five votes they are powerless to
unSeat Johnson.
AS pointed out by the presidents
supporters. in the event of a stale
mate in the league meeting-four
votes on each side-no election for the
presidency can be effected and John
son automatically will continue in
office.
And with 4 directorate comprising
two club owners from each side il
would be 4 stand-o as far as the
board is concerned. with the insur
gent members unable to nullify any
acts of the president enjoying the
support of half of the club owners.
No one expects Dunn to shift his
affiliations in the scrap now raging
in the American League. Cognizance
is taken of the possibility merely to
illustrate that even in such an even
tuality Johnson can't lose and that
the Comiskeyites can't win. The
worst that can happen to Byron B: is
a draw in the balloting, leaving Big
Ban still in the saddle.