Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-04-14
AvERSE RULING
FOR ORGANIZED
BALL Is GIVEN
Judgment of $4,000 Returned
Against Defendants in Suit May
Have Fatal Result.
COMPLETE BREAKUP POSSIBLE
So Says League Leaders Who Hint,
However, at Further Fight
Through Supreme Court.


s4nized baseball; absolute sever
ance OF relations with the National
Association of Minor leagues, and
revision of the players contracts,
eliminating the ten days and re-
serve clauses, will be the probable
result of the $4,000 verdict
granted the Baltimore club of the
Federal league by jury in the Dis
trict of Columbia supreme court
Saturday.
These revolutionary measures to
safeguard baseball from all future
legal attacks wee forecast by Ban
johnson, president of the Ameri-
can league, upon his return from
:. Washington last night. The Amer
lean and National leagues, togeth-
er with their cIubownerS and of
ficials, and certain officials of the
defunct Federal league were de-
PENDANTS in the 100000 suit for
damages brought under the Sher-
man antitrust law
President Johnson said that an
appeal would be taken to the board
OF appeals of the District of Co
alumbia, and, if necessary. to the
Supreme court of the United States
"The verdict, of course, was a
blow to baseball" President John
son said, but we were not partic-
uiarly distressed, as it was nothing
more than we expected under the
circumstances. We were bound to
appeal, no matter what the amount
of damages involved was
I'VE do not want to be charged
IN
trade; neither do we want the
charge of conducting a monopoly
hanging over US. We can see a ray
of sunshine because of the fact
that we can appeal. If the verdict
had been brought in our favor, we
would have been denied that priv
ilege."
While declaring that he did not
care to .ridicule the verdict or the
justice of the court, President
Johnson said the attorneys for the
Baltimore club talked like ''Lenine
and Trotsky."
johnson a Gar.
you would have thought that
we were on trial in Russia" the
American league executive said.
I'VE were charged with all man
ner of crimes. The attorneys for
the plaintiffs referred to me as the
car of baseball and gave the i'm
preston that we were on the
threshold of the penitentiary.
Baseball has been conducted IN
der the present system for 40 years
and has been persistent in its sue
Cess in keeping the sport clean and
retaining the dignity of the game.
If we have bees wrong in our oper-
atoms, then of course we want to
know about it."
What methods the American and
National leagues would adopt TO
govern themselves would be among
the early developments, President
Johnson said The leagues would
be obliged to conduct their af-
fairs independently and the Ma
tional Commission would have to
be abolished il the verdict return
ed in the District of Columbia su-
preme court is sustained, he said.
Hermann Says.
Cincinnati, Ohio, April 14.-Au-
gust Hermann, chairman of the
National Baseball commission, who
returned from Washington yester-
Johnson's propositions, said they
might be the outcome of the Balti-
more Federal league suit, but that
he did not believe it would be nee
essary to go as far as predicted by
the American league president
I'VE have prepared an appeal in
the Baltimore club suit, will exc
cnte bond and the matter probably
will not come up during the COM
ing playing season." Mr.. Hermann /.
said.
1.-The national commission as a |
whole is preparing a statement and |
this will be ready in a couple of |
days. Pending the appeal of the
verdict against US, baseball will be
conducted as in the past"
New York April 14.-Comment-l
ing on the victory OF the Baltimore |
Federal league baseball club in
Washington Saturday in its suit |
charging the major baseball |
leagues with maintaining monop-
oily of baseball, John A. Heydler,
president of the National league,
said last night:
"@The question Of authority of the |
Federal league committee to ne
gotiate and make binding peace
terms was raised deliberately and
repeatedly when the committee met |
with us in New York in 1915. In
every such instance full authority
to make settlement was guaran-
teed US by President Gilmore,
chairman of the F'ederaI's commit
tee.
Every such declaration was
made in the presence and hearing
of President Rasin Of the Baitl-
more Federal league club, who
neither by act nor voice dIssented.
Yet because OF the courts rulings
on the points of law IN the case
this, to US important factor, was
not given to the jury.
Despite this unfavorable decis-
ion, however, there is nothing that
cannot be remedied by higher
court, if error has been made.
Should even the highest tribunal
approve what has now been de-
cided I am confident that the game
will go on as before. The game is
not affected by the decision except
IN It's business aspects, and I be-
lieve the public has little interest
IN those"