New-York tribune., 1919-05-01
Baseball Won the War
By Wilbur Forrest


Y marvellous physical showing of Amer-
can youth in the European war is the
reason why worlds series baseball games
probably will be played in Paris or London
one or two decades hence was the declara-
ton of E. w. Dckerson, American minor.
league baseball president, while here.
Dickerson is president Of the Western
League. Few men in America know athletes,
and especially baseball athlctes,-or the ma
tional game much better than Dickerson
He has been a keen observer of basebalps
prospects during several months connected
with the American army and visiting the
areas of other armies.
"No other nation knows better than Ger
many what American athletjs did toward
winning the war;" said Dickerson. From
the accurate grenade throwing of our troops
to the manner in which they forged on tow
ard their goal in every battle whether the
officers had fallen or not their agility and
ability for quick determination, ability to
withstand hardships and nerve wracking fire
it all developed from our national aptitude
for sports-baseball, football, basketball and
others.
"Our men played football and baseball on
the battlefelds and won. And they won
clean Every nation admires them and their
sturdy physique. Every nation will copy
them in time, believe. Baseball, especially.
which trains the mind and eye for quick
work, builds the body, will, in my firm opin-
ion, become international sport before
many years. Already, it is being played
extensively by the Moroccans, the Iial-
ians, the French, the British, Canadians.
Scotch, Irish, Welsh, Australians, New Zea-
landers and English as the result of our
share in the war. In addition it is stand
ardized Mexican and Cuban game, and has
great popularity in Japan and China South
America plays it some. Thus 1t spreads to
all five continents, America, Europe, Asia,
Africa and Australasia.
II have talked to men from all these con-
tinents. They are as genuine in their en-
thusasm for baseball as q national sport
as they are in their admiration for the
clean sporting way in which our troops con-
Quoted themselves in the war. A nation of
men who play clean sports could never de-
generate much as TO commit the crimes
that Germany committed in Northern France
and Belgium. Therefore, too, Germany has
some salvation in baseball.
"Their fixed objective was the goal of our.
troops on European battlefeds in the same
sense that the kid on the corner lot strove to
make home run at FOUNDERS. 1t was as much
their objective as a touchdown in football
a goal in basketball With the initiative
gained by constant play from infancy to
manhood, the American doughboy was lead
and did not require driving. Contrast
him with the German soldier. The German
soldier was lost without the man cracking
the whip behind him. When the driver fell
he was undecided. Sometimes he fought on
but never in the charge; with machine gun,
perhaps, yes.
"Mr. American Doughboy. the person who
this war so gloriously, had no inde-
cision. He did not stop and turn back With
perfect command of himself and with. un-
bounded confidence he Forged toward the
goal he was determined to reach. He reached
it fell, confident in success of his COM
rades."
Dickerson, who leaves for America soon,
believes that British peace time cricket will
rapidly develop into unadulterated American
baseball.
"And the French" he added, "they natural
ly take to it like duck takes to water. Some
of our best major leaguers have been French
--Lajoie, La Chance, Laeuve, Gagnier and
others"
That is why he sees the world series being
played in London OK Paris within the next
decade or two.