Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-18
PHILA. OFFICER IN LONDON
WA TCHES BASEBALL NEWS
Captain Jack" Potter. Is Much
Concerned Orer Fate OF the
Phiiiies
Son Of National League Teams
Former President Mixes Sport
With Var Duties

By Henry N. Neely. a Philadelphidn.
tUho Is engaged IN reconstruction cork
abroad. Copyright, Public Ledger Co.,
1919.
London. Feb. 4.-when a man goes
INTO 80 important place as the head
quarters of the officers who have COM
manded all OF Uncle Sans soldiers in
the United Kingdom, he naturally ap-
proaches with a sense OF awe and an
expectation of overwhelming dignity
that viii keep him from being in the
slightest degree facetious.
IL was III such an humble spirit that
L climbed the stairs In Belgrave Man
sions and entered the sacred precincts.
tall, strappingly built young captain
sprang to his feet.
Hello, there" he cried heartily.
Say. what in thunder are the folks
back home trying to do 10 the Phillles
make tristate league team of them?"
He pointed to an unfinished letter on
his desk.
i've just been writing to Dad" he
explained. I'm trying to make him
get things together to put Broad and
Huntingdon streets OF the map again
The tall captain was Jack" Potter,
and Dad" is familarly known in Phila-
delphia as Jimmy Potter, former pres
ident of the Philles Captain Jack has
been over here FOR some time and has
been rather busy with army matters dur
ing the war, but he has never for an
instant lost the instinct for baseball that
was born in him and one OF the Things
that he talks about with greatest glee
in his work over here was the organiza-
ton Of regular league among the
American forces and the way In which
his own team captured the championship
of that league
Captain Potter is one of the Philadel-
phians who have succeeded in making
American army headquarters mighty
popular in London life, both on the mill
tary and social sides. In fact, 1t seems
to have fallen almost entirely to Phlla-
delphla to give Britishers an idea or
what the American gentleman Is ana
can be. And that idea is to day most
1attering one.
In command of all Of the American
forces in the United Kingdom, Major
General Josn Biddle has set standard
over here that succeed ng military men
will have a job in passing for
IL is not only in the efficiency
of his business organization that
he has made an impression but, per-
, hans. even more in the suave. pleas
ing. attractive way in which he ana MS
STAFF have responded to the BRUSH ioNe
OF social functions and public arairs
even in the midst of the eNigencies Oh
war General Biddle is not, OF course,
strictly a Philadelph'an, but he hao
much OF his schooling there and he Is !
first cousin of the Mercer Biddles, oi
Torresdale. besides being related to mos'
of the other Biddles.
But Philadelphia is entitled to the
credit of claiming all three of the gen
erals aides-de-camp and they after all
are really responsible for hte many nice
| things that Britishers are saying apou'
| Yankee officers. These aides are Captain
John II. Potter. Captain Howard Henr!
and Lieutenant Norman Mackie.
All three are Philadelphians aho
Princeton men. still further 10 prov
/ Philadelphia's claim to England's gra
titude, General Biddle's previous RANK
ing aide was Captain Alfred Biddle. frs
cousin Of our owh Captain Tony Biodi'
and the man who so efficiently planned
and carried out the tremendous Jop o.
providing for the transportation OF al
/ Americans through and from Ehgiah'
was Colonel NJ c. Kennedy, whose hoin'
| is in Chambersburg. but who is brothe'
/ OF the Kennedys, of Twenty-hrst ah'
Walnut streets
TO top il all, the man who has peei
I assigned the important work of liquidat
ing all American military debts In Eng
land is Colonel Charles McKeehan
whose home, l am told, Is in Chestnu
Hill.
Since the recent ''washout"-which !