New Britain herald., 1919-12-13

 
BAN JOHNSON ACTS
 IN CARL MAYS CASE
American League Ruler Asks
 Judge to Reverse Decision

New York, Dec. 13-It looks like a plump Christmas for the attorneys of Ban Johnson and the American League insurgents. More business came rolling in yesterday, when it was learned that counsel for Ban Johnson, president of the American League, had appealed Justice Wag- ner's decision in the Carl Mays case, which made permanent the injunction restraining Johnson from interfering with Mays pitching for the New York club.
 A notice of appeal was served in the Appellate Court, Part l., last Thursday at o'clock, imm ediately after John son got on board a train to return to Chicago. Last Thursday was the last day in which Johnson had to appeal Under court procedure it will take eighteen days before the case comes up, which would run it into the Christmas holidays. The Appellate Court, therefore, will not take the appeal up until some time next month
 Charles Futile, attorney for the Yankees, has asked that the Mays case be brought imm ediately to trial and has advised Stephen Baldwin, Johnsons local attorney, that the New York club will not consent to any further delays. It was explained by Futile that the appeal by Johnson in the Appellate Court will not prevent this case from being tried on it's merits.
 It further was explained that John sons case before the Appellate Court will be presented entirely by affidavit. Ban Johnson's action in appealing from Justice Wagner's decision shows that he appreciates the war still is on.
 "Mays Case Only an Incident"
 "People should get it out of their heads that this fight is all over the Mays case" said Harry Frazee presi- dent of the Boston Red Sox, yester- day. 'The Mays case now is only an incident, and it only served to bring the feeling that had been engendered against Johnson in the league to the surface. As a matter of fact a re- bellion against Johnson's domineering autocratic power had been shoulder ] ing. for some time.
 Were it not for this discontent at Johnson,s acts, his conduct in the Mays case would not have raised the 1 storm that it did. And a lot of the other club owners agree with us that i we are right They admit that JOhn- | son has run everything to suit himself, and that frequently during the war he made himself ridiculous and was 1 one of baseball's encumbrances during l those severe days on the national game.
 But when it comes to taking any action their excuse is that to turn on Johnson now and take our part would make a bad impression with their ball players, and that hereafter any dis satisfied player would run out on his team, which is absolute bosh.
 What we want in the American League is a league run by the club owners as is done in the National League, with a capable man to carry on the wishes of the club owners. That is the difference between the two leagues. In the National League the president does the will of the club owners Until recently the procedure in the American League was for the league to do entirely what the presi- dent did He acted absolutely, and the rest of the league merely chimed in with 'yeses,' but we have ceased being yes men for Johnson.'