The Washington times., 1919-11-06

pay to the Yankees the third place
money derived from the worlds series
receipts.
Before the meeting the directors,
consisting OF Rupert. FraZee, and
Comiskey. decided secretly on a can
didate for Garry Herrmann's job.
John Heydler was notified to get in
touch with johnson. He did, and
was turned down fatty because
Colonel Rupert was to sit in as a
member of the joint committee. The
next move is up to the National
League. 1t will hardly be delayed
Ban Johnson has controlled profess
sional baseball through Garry Herr
man. Whenever really big things
came before the National Commiss on
Ban and Garry have always stood to-
I gether. This condition became 40 i'm
possible to John h. Tener, when he
led the National League, that he pub
nVly announced his unwillingness to
sit as a member of the commi ssi on
while johnson and Hermann con-
! Quoted its affairs. He stuck to his
word, too, until he was succeeded by
John Heydler.
Banking On Comiskey.
Many baseball men. with nothing al
all to do with this perpIexing si1ua-
tion, are banking on Charlie Comiskey
! to be returned a winner over Ban
Johnson. The White Sox magna1e il
proceeding slowly. obtaining the best
OF legal advice for each and every
step in his progress toward ge1ting
rid Of Ban Johnson.
Hints are heard that johnson may
lose two OF his supporting club
Philadelphia and Washington. 1t IL
said that he has them only because
of their weak financial condition, and
that, with this bettered, both clubs
will switch over TO Comiskey's side
So far as Washington is concerned
the fans here have long opposed John
sons methods. and would be tickIed
TO death to see the Griffs get int
some money that would put the club
into the 1920 pennant race The out
look now is far from good The local
owners are saying nothing. and when
they do talk-they say nothing
Ever since Ban Johnson got into
his scraps with the United States
Government. he has been finding the
going rougher and rOugher with the
months. That outburst at Cleveland
in 1918 brought to a head smoIdering
enmity OF years. 1t seems destined
to bring about the end OF Ban johnson
as baseball leader or the disruption
of the league.
Yankees Are scrapper.
The two Yankee magnates are
scrappers. They have got themseIve,
in pretty deep financially and ar.
loath to see Johnson take their none y
away from them. Johnson has been
turned down hard by the New York
In
started this approaching civil war in
the league. and he now has all his
war paint on. He is evidently willing
TO fight to the bitter end, as ne ever
has done. Ban doesn't believe in uuit-
ting.
Charlie Comiskey is also a scrapper,
Furthe rmore, he has hated Johnson
for years, Withholding action merely
for the good of the league and base
ball in general. Now ComisItey. a,
head OF the league board of directors,
is leading the hght against Ban. Those
who have known Commy for years saw
he'll go through with this fight and
will not quit till Ban is licked.
Harry Frazee is an out and out
business man. He is not OF the Comis-
key type. However, unless he wins.
he stands to lose a lot OF money and
ne thinks no more OF a dime than he
does OF a thousand dollars. Johnson
has been fighting him for more than
two years and Frazee has become al
most accustomed to IL.
Johnson's decision yesterday to have
nothing to do with the COMMITTEES
charged with finding Garry Herr
mann's successor, brings in the Ma
tionaI League and also causes the bit
terness in his own league to increase.