Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-14
Drafting of
Players Most
Important Part
If a League Refuses to Join,
Clubs in Higher Glass Can.
not Draft From Lower
Division Teams.

Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
New York, Dec. l3.--Base ball
magnates broke all records yester-
day when they met and within an
hour had approved a.national agree
ment to. .supplant the one that went
by the boards when the National
league and three members of the
American league bolted this fall.
So speedy was the agreement
reached by the ENJOYS Of the Ma
tional and American leagues, THAI
Judge kenesaw Mountain Landis-
and believed by every one, he is the
high commissioner of base ball from
now on if the word of the base ball
magnates can be taken-rwas able to
catch the Twentieth Century limited
for Chicago. But it took, a long,
long time for the stenographer to
get the words" in shape for publ
cation.
The National base ball covenant
on which all were agreed must be
stamped with the approval of major
and minor leagues before it becomes
a fact. This probably will be done
on January Il, at Chicago, on which
date a confirmation" meeting has
beer. called.
Must Be Stamped o. X.
OF course, the agreement reached
by the envoys of the various leagues
must meet the approval of all con-
cerned and on Tuesday the National
league at the Waldorf Astoria will
come across" in order to avoid any
delay. August Hermann, former
chairman of the National commits
sion, asserts there is no reason for
the National league to be in session
more than three hours, because there
is nothing to do.
On the following Friday, the
American league will meet in Chi
cago and with the representatives of
the loyal five" in full accord with
the agreement reached today, Ban
Johnson's organization is expected to
slap on its stamp of approval.
With the two major leagues in
accord, it is up to the twenty-seven
minor leagues to get onNthe band
wagon. The big base ball chiefs be-
lieve they will speedily see the
light and sign up. There are some
magnates, however, who seem to- be
inclined to slip cog in some of the
wheels of the machinery, but it is
believed there will be general re-
union with all hatchets buried in
view of the fact that representatives
of the minors were so quick to give
their approval to the plans drawn
up by they majors.
Minors Balk at Draft Plans.
Some Of the minors balk at the
suggested draft plans which will be.
drawn up later by an advisory COM
nlittee made up Of the heads of the
American and National leagues,
and minor leagues. yet to be Sc
lected.
If league refuses to join the
national agreement, a league of the
higher class cannot draft from
league of the lower class, as is the
case at present, nor can major
league draft from any class unless
that class has joiued in the agree
ment.
r In the event there are any out
laws" player in that league would
be- handicapped because he could
not progress unless his "owner"
could get the-.price. He could not
be drafted and get chance if the
owner of his club was not MEM
Der OF the agreement. So player
is liable to refuse to play unless he
can advance. One may be sure all
leagues will be in the agreement.
Lands High Mogul.
The agreement between the Ma
tional and American leagues desig-
mates the title of Judge Lands as
commissioner. In outlining his du-
ties, the agreement places upon him
the>task of investigating either upon
complaint or upon his own initiative
any act or practice, alleged or sus-
pectcd to be detrimental to the best
interests of the national game Of
base ball with authority to summon
persons and to order the production
of documents" Provision is made
for imposing penalties for refusal
ADvERTIsEMENT.