The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-10
BAN JOHNSON
DECLARES FOR
FINISH WAR
Says Clubs Sticking to Him
Are the Only Decent
Ones
MAKES PLEA TO MINORS
National League Has No
Stomach for a Fight
Is His Opinion.
REPRISALS THREATENED
Judge Lands Is Still COnsid-
ering Offer to Head Board
Of Control.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-. Nov. 9.-The minor
baseball leaguers have heard the plea
Of the American League majority.
Tomorrow morning they will listen
to a verbal presentation Of the cause
espoused by the "big eleven" the
eight National Leaguers and the three
minority American League owners.
1t was late this afternoon when Ban
johnson appeared before the minor
Ieaguers in open meeting. The Ameri-
can League president spoke briefly
and then presented George w. Miller,
attorney of the American League. Mr..
Miller spoke eloauently and appealing
ly and when he left the stand it was
evident that his statement of the in
ternal dissension in the majors pro-
foundry impressed the minor leaguers.
With no animus toward the big
eleven" Mr.. Miller told Of the Chicago
$ meeting Monday. Nowhere in his talk
TO the minors was there line OF
venom toward the opposition. Rather
his talk was an appeal carrying all
through it the hope that the breach
would YET be healed and harmony es-
E tablished.
Mr.. Miller did not ask the support of
ne minors, but pleaded for commit
tee of three members of the National
Association to meet with an American
League committee of three already Sc
lected and a similar committee that he
hoped would be named by the National
League
'Let this committee of nine assemble
around conference table," Mr.. Miller
pleaded. There we may be able to
work out our salvation. Out of such a
meeting may come suggestion for rul-
Ing power of baseball that will give
equal representation to the majors and
20 the minors. the training ground the
very foundations of the big leagues We
ask you to name committee to meet
with our committee and n National
League committee that baseball men
may solve the troubles of baseball. Let
W try. Then If we fail we'll split and
fight. But may that not come until
every effort has failed"
Frequent applause greeted pertinent
points in Mr.. Miller's address. The big
Eleven" may have supporters among
the minors. but It appears that the ma
Jority sympathize with the American
League quintet.
The National League committee-Au-
gust Hermann. Charles II. Ebbets and
Barney Dreyfuss-will appear before the
minors at II o'clock tomorrow morning
The probability is that tho minors will
take no side. advising the major league
factions 10 get together and then invite
the minors to conference. At the same
time il would not be surprising IL the
minors appoint "A committee to meet with
fhe rrppOSad f,iU Lon mn pnnnpifffaaC
War to n Finish.
Throughout the big gathering OF miners
snd majors the sentiment seems to pre-
van that the troubles OF the majors will
yet be patched up. Baseball men gencr-
ally find II difficult to believe that the
smart owners OF big league clubs will
let the game drift on the rocks Of discord
with sea of ruin in front.
Yet there are prominent baseball men
and veteran baseball writer's too. who
are beginning to lose faith and believe
that the breach IL irreparable.
Upon his arrival here to-day Mr.
johnson declared that it would be a war
to finish and that clubs would be es-
tabished in Chicago. Boston and New
York next season TO take the places Of
the clubs which Joined the revolutionary
movement to reorganize the game. His
statement fOllOwS:
1--WE are prepared TO give them all of
the battle they want. The American
League Is going about It's business and
will have clubs In the eight cities which
have composed It's circuit for years. We
will not back up for a second.
war, in my judgment, Is tho best
cleanser. / am for II. as i believe Il
will clean up baseball like Il cleans up
everything else. What the game really
needs is TO be cleansed OF some of its
undesirable club owners, who have been
detriment because they openly allowed
gambling in their baseball parks.
The National League never had any
stomach for fight IL Is an impossi-
Bile organization. Its politics ruined the
old National Commission because John
X Tener. the former league president,
could not get along with Chairman Herr
mann of the commission.
"The five clubs in the American
League which remained with me are the
only decent element in the major leagues.
They have fought with mo to stamp out
the gambling evil ! got no assistance
whatever from the others
Critfcises A. ID. Lasker.
,;r. johnson, in his address 10 the
minor leagues characterized A. y. Las
ker or Chicago. sponsor of the Lasxcr
plan for baseball reorganization, as 'one
who has not shed his swaddling clothes
in baseball and declared that the
minors should not show any Partially
TO either side in the major league die
putc
The political shakeup In the National
Association OF Minor Leagues failed TO
rnnterialize to-day when the league
presidents elected officers John II
Farrell OF Auburn. 4. Y, who was
slated to be busted from office. was re-
-sccted secretary and treasurer for a
strlod of ten years.
" NJ. II. Sexton OF Rock Island, H.
.sas reelected president. but reserved his
decision until tomorrow The minor
iesguers plan to place the president on
salary of $4,000 annually and have
hat official take a more active interest
n the management OF the minors az
\. airs. heretofore Mr. Sexton served
-ithout compensation and devoted only
little time TO league affairs. Mr.. Sex
ton was a candidate to succeed Secre-
cary Farrell. but his supporters failst
a, muster enough votes
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