Evening star., 1920-01-26
CRITICISM MENACES
BIG RING STRUGGLE
Continued Opposition to
Dempsey Over War Record
May Prevent Fight.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

IHOMPSON.
Sportdom's leading question for
weeks-"Where will the Dempsey
Carpenter fight be held?'-promises
to be displaced by another query simi-
lar, yet totally different in it's signifi-
cance-"Will the fight be held?"
Signs have become increasingly ap-
parent of late that opposition to the
match is so widespread the promoters
who have been scrambling for the
privilege of putting on the show may
develop virulent attack of cold feet
and lay off a proposition that seem
ingly is so bitterly resented by the
hundreds of thousands of Americas
young manhood who risked their all
In the defense of their country on the
field of battle
Dempsey's failure to enter active
service during the war is at the bot
tom of the feeling against him being
permitted to reap a fortune from his
hstlc prowess. Attention first was
called to his status as a patriot by a
post of the American Legion in his
home state-Colorado-and its lead in
passing condemnatory resolutions has
been followed by local bodies in many
sections of the country As a result
at least one state-New Jersey-al-
ready has announced through the
commission that governs boxing that
the champion will be barred from it's
borders
Aasailed by Legion Posts.
The national organization of the
American Legion has indicated il in
: tends to maintain a hands-off policy in
the controversy, with no investigation
! either to condemn or vindicate. but
this has in nowise deferred the To-
cal posts from adopting resolutions
! assalling the champion. nor has it in
/ fuenced the attitude of the ex-soldier
! publications, one of which. the Home
; Sector, ferociously attacks the title
4; holder, advocating political pressure
I 10 prevent him from fgting in the
United States and even suggesting
he be denied passports to fight in any
= other country.
Americas greatest fighter" says
| the Home Sector. Hero of a few
| weeks in the shipyards. hero of a
| few minutes battle with Jess Will
! lard hero of the fur overcoat and the
=, fat bank account, hero of moving pic
! lures at several thousand dollars a
! week. hero of two peaceful and emf
(! nently profitable years in the United
| States while the great world cham
I pionship was being fought several
! thousand miles away. Americas
. greatest fighter? No, not by several
millions"
This is a sample of the feeling that
{ obtains in some quarters against
/ is developing that may interrupt his
ring career for some time, if it is not
ended altogether. With the control
/ ling body of the American Legion
/ having refused to WELD the white
: washing brush in his case and a SINH
! lar policy of non-interference ex-
; pected from the Army. Navy and Ci-
william Board of Boxing Control, to
! which Dempsey has applied for a
: "vindication of his war record
/ W n a ha-
tore the country at large and let the
local posts and individual members
draw their own conclusions, which,
would be done anyhow regardless of
Organization
Dempsey Asked Pertinent Questions.
If Dempsey really is desirous that
some interested body pass on his war
record he will not be denied the op-
portunity. however, for the wounded
men in General Hospital, No. Al. Fox
Hill, Staten Island have offered to re-
view his case Through Lieut.. Ar
thur Robinson, 10th Infantry, 2Sth
Division. they have addressed a letter
to Dempsey, in which he is informed
they regret that the American Legion
does not consider it a function of the
I organization ito review the claims
/ of any individual who finds it neces-
!. sary to justify his exemption from
, military service" and Offering to form
tee or court of fair justice to consider
his case, if he cares to submit it. The
inmates of the hospital, who number
more than 1000 still suffering with
wounds received in action, have sug-
geSted that in case he cares to accept
their offer he fill out a questionnaire.
in which many pertinent queries are
listed He Is asked. for instance. to
define the following words: Self-re-
spect, patriotism, citizenship. obliga-
tion. honor. decency. And he is asked:
What was tho Lusitania? Where Is
Belgium7 France? What Is a rivet?
Did you ever drive one? Describe the
interior of q shipyard-"
he Is asked: How much time did
: you actually spend in the shipyards
and how much did you earn in tho
in France were busy fighting and
dytng7 Is there any reason why those
who failed TO do their duty during the
war should not suffer a fair and rea-
who did do active service in France
and were wounded are proudly suffer-
ing tho penalty Of permanent dis
abilities? And in the event of another
war would you advise the young fell
lows of this country to do what you
did. or to do what the wounded men in
this hospital gladly did,"
The nature of the questions ad-
dressed to Dempsey indicate that the
veterans of the war have some we'll
defined ideas in regard to what con-
stitutes real patriotism and that they
ere not disposed to be impressed with
anything savoring of a.Quibble or an
alihi The Dempsey case is purely a
matter of ethics and he is not the
only figure in professional sports who
would be embarrassed when con-
fronted with a list Of leading ques-
tions of the sort enumerated above
The class is not confined to boxers
or ball players or any other branch
of athletics either. 1t embraces every
walk of life.
Paying the Price of Prominence.
Dempsey merely is paying the price
of prominence He is being singled out
from among millions simply because
Of the position he has attained in
the public eye. Huge purses and wild
eyed publicity have brought him into
the focus of the spotlight. His head
- sticking up the highest and is
due for a swat because of this fact.
In other words, Dempsey is being
made the goat for the country to reg
lister its disapproval of Objectionable
conditions.
The sentiment now blazing up has
been srnoldering for long time and
is due to the poor example set during
the war by professional athletes. es-
pecially the prominent ones, who are
regarded as heroes by thousands of
boys and young men and whose ac-
lions have a mighty influence on
HEM Men of Dempsey's standing
nave obligations to meet in the way
% the lot of persons of lesser prom
tuence. Dempsey's course, while per-
',Aps more represensible than
thousands and thousands of others,
Is being singled out for bitter criti-
cism. IT Is tough on him. but serves
i l-e .A1-