New-York tribune., 1920-11-29

fhe celebrated Chlcago JurlSC VINO
for the next seven years will have most
to do in shaping the future of this
professional sport bases his faith for
tho future on the absolute honesty of
loyalty and craftsmanship of the great
masses of patronizing Americans
Judge Lands, who was in New York
for the Army-Navy football game and
who left for his home city on the
Twentieth Century Limited yesterday
afternoon, spoke frankly and at length
to newspaper representatives before
his departure.
Judge Lands believes the game
sshould be divorced from the profess
sional gambler and professional gamb
ling. He believes further that such
examples should be made Of those
guilty OF dishonesty in the 1919 series
as would warn the profession for
generations to come. Personally, he
intends to see to it that the promised
"honse cleaning" is effected in such
integrity and justice that not one of
the guilty shall escape exposure and
punishment be ne what he may to the
soprt 1t is his opinion that civilian
powers of baseball to purge the game
OF ell that is undesirable.
Fan First of All
II am, first Of all, FAM" said Judge
Landis, "and I believe as such I fully
appreciate the fans sentiment and atti-
tude. The shock of the exposure Of
crookedness in baseball was stunning
at the time. Il was unbelievable. 1t
left the senses numbed, paralyzed
ITO this succeeded q deep passion
Of anger, and anger especially against
those implicated in the betrayal of a
sentiment that had become almost as
strong as the sentiment for purity in
womanhood. But now there seems ex-
pressed on every hand a purpose to
clear the good name of game that
had become typical in the mind of all
the best in Americanism from the
slanderous suspicious those guilty
players left.
professional gambling and the pro-
fessional gambler must pass out Of the
life of the game continued Judge
lands. "The combination has led to
ell the present trouble.
"How this desired end is to be at
tanned | do not know. But it must be
done. AS yet | am new and strange to
the high office with which | have been
honored, and have not been able to de-
vote proper thought to the subject
welcome advice from writer's who have
devoted long years to study of base
ball and baseball conditions"
Judge Lands then put the several
members of the visiting delegation on
the witness chair and questioned them
so shrewdly on baseball law, politics
and conditions as to prove to the veriest
tyro he already has wonderful grasp
on the problems with which his high
Office is confronted
Friendly Betting Dangerous
"To my mind' he continued later,
at is not the inoffensive-or perhaps
should say friendly ly-betting between
Bill and Jim that is injurious. No
people is more ready to take the haz-
ards of chance than the American peo-
l,le. Golf is q great game and a popu-
lar one despite friendly betting. A
little wager of ball or so is Gus
tomary, as it is believed to bring out
the best of individual play.
"But even friendly betting is apt to
injure the reputation of baseball. Those
who see money passed will interpret
some past error in the light Of crooked
ness; Shortstop Jones made lov peg
to the plate because he had ret on the
other side (why isn't Jones the great
friend of Smith, who was seen to do the
collecting?)
"I feel sure that NO one wishes more
than the fan to see the game cleansed
and purged. ! feel equally sure that
lovers of baseball will be willing to
forego the pleasure of friendly wager
ing If they realize such harmless prac-
tice is hurtful. The honor and loyalty
of fandom and the absolute honesty of
the great majority of professional base
ball players stand as the greatest safe
guards to the future of the sport.
Show to stamp out professional
gambling is matter on which snap
Judgment should not be taken. There
is always difference of opinion i. law
am told there now exists a difference
of opinen in the Prosecutors Office OF
Cook County as to whether or not the
indicted White Sox players may legally
be tried by a court of law.
There are likewise differences OF
opinion as to whether the various
states of the Union are possessed of
laws whose rigid application would
stamp out betting at ball parks and on
baseball games. Which raises the
point. also. as to sovereign rights of
individual states in chance legislation
that might be attempted to make of
betting more serious otfense. But I
am sure the great masses of the
American people who stand for law
and order and good government will
stand solidly behind the movement for
the purging and safeguarding of our
national game. And | believe the Fed
eral government. if within its right,
would gladly lend every available aid"
Judge Lands. on first acquaintance,
impresses as man possessed of q
keen analytical mind and unswerving