New-York tribune., 1919-07-03

man, or when get darn good licking,
and l don't see any prospect of that
for some time to come. If Dempsey
with his fists it will be his, all right
But am not going to give it away. It's
worth something to INC yet
This puts the quietus to the yarn
that, no matter what the result of the
coming fight would be, Willard had
planned to present the title to Demp-
sey with his blessing. But, being
business man, Willard knows that the
! championship is something of an asset,
and, despite the fact that he is loaded
down with oil leases, he intends to keep
the ring title in the safe deposit box
until it is Wrested from him by vio-
lence.
1t will be recalled that James J. JEFF
fries once resigned the title. Tommy
Burns got it in the scramble and then
lost it to Jack Johnson. Whereupon
Jetfries came out of retirement at the
earnest solicitation of the boxing fra
tnrnity, "to win back the title for the
sensitive Caucasian race" You will
recall shat the naughty Caucasian race
got an awful jolt to their hauteur
1t seems to me that the fate of Jeff
ries is responsible for the experts and
the judges being chary of admitting
that Willard is in good condition. You
know that the experts thumped over
poor old jeff and pronounced him fit
and wonderful. Some of them said
that he- was troglodyte and cave
man for condition.. after the Reno
battle the experts were busy explain
ing that jeff was merely a hollow shell.
Consequently the experts, having
burned their fingers once, are wary of
admitting that Willard is fit. ] believe
that ii it were not for the Reno thing
the experts would be touting Willard
as perfect but exaggerated speci-
ment of the genus homo. and that he
would he big favorite. AS it is, there
is more conversation that betting, and
great trepidation in the matter of ex-
pressing opinions.
Debate Over the Judges
There may be some heated words be
fore the judges and the referee agree
on all details. Jack Kearns is still
moaning to the effect that there must
be cneman decision on the matter of
a foul. The Willard camp will insist
that the two judges decide on this
point also.
Speaking for Willard, Ray Archer,
business manager for the champion,
said:
"If Willard should be knocked out he
vii! have nothing to say. But he will
insist that he does not lose the title
by any trick or foolish decision He
will want himself protected in that re-
result will be decisive enough, but at
the same time he feels that he is iusti-
fed in safeguarding himself"
Consequently there may be a last
minute wrangle There always is.
Rickard probably would feel lonesome
if he did not have lot of ultimatums
to consider just before ring time.
Dempsey is keeping to the vicinity
Of his camp under the viligant eye Of
Jimmy De Forrest. Willard strolls
through the town and the lobbies once
in q while. The champion is not so
much averse to human companionship
as he used to be.
Army Cots for Visitors
Every train that stops dumps a load
Of boxing fans, and all Of the hotels
arc putting in army cots for the visi-
tors. The temperature is rising again
and indications are that the interior
OF the arena will be many degrees
warmer than fight day at Havana or
Reno.
While it is hardly probable now that
the arena VIII be filed, it seems pos
sibie enough that the entire gate re-
ceipts will come close to the million,
upon which Tex Rickard figured when
he made the match. The arena has
been completed on time and is now
being guarded by company of ex-
members Of the 4. e. f.
Dempsey seems to be the local IA
vorite, sentimentally, but not in the
betting, for the Toledoan is not bet
ting. Banners and streamers have
been raised along the route from the
Dempsey camp to the arena bearing
the legend:
GOOD LUCK, JACK"
Horseshoes have been hung over all
doors in the vicinity of the camp.
One Of these in glove might do Demp-
scy some good on the Fourth.