The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-11-02
JOHNSON AWAKES
 TO BASEBALL CRY
American League Czar Civ. en Jolt at Plan For New
 Organization.

New York, Nov. "A seismograph recorded severe disturbance in the vicinity of Chicago the other day.
 Disturbance in question was caused by one Ban Johnson returning to earth with loud crash after a so- jour of several years in the upper ether.
 Ban came down hard. with al the grace of stone chimney. He came down so hard. in fact, that he must have been awakened from the silly dream he has been enjoying for a number of years-a dream that he was the one and only high Pooh-bah in baseball.
 Time was when Ban Johnsons word was respected and obeyed by baseball folk. That time has passed. Ban still has his clique Of five club owners, but he has struck the rocks and is sinking. And if the club owners stick with him they will sink also.
 The ultimatum handed down by the eleven Nationall and American League a olitical plot. as some of Johnson S friends would have the public believe The men who met ill Chicago are sim cere in their efforts to clean up base ble. One of the first moves. if base ball is to be run smoothly and peace fully, will be the putting of the we'll known snids under 1sattlin' Ban.
 Heydlel's Explanation.
 Some idea of what sort of state may be had from 1he explanation of President John Hey ydler of a situation that arose immediately after the playing of the late and unlamented 1919 worlds series.
 Kid Gleason and Comiskey both thought they saw something wrong with the way the White Sox were playing. The Kid told Heydler about it and Comiskey also spoke to the Ma tional League president, as he was Johnson. Commy suggested th/ Heydler call Johnson's attention to the matter, and despite the fact that he could not believe there was any thing wrong, Heydler mentioned Co., miskey's fears to Big Ban.
 pected to do at that particular time Ban refused to take Heydler's tiI seriously and there was nothing more for the National League president te do, as the accusation were all made against the Sox and it was Johnson's which he did not do.
 Heydler, being president of the Ma tional League, felt quite naturally enough that he had done all that he the National Commission was no functioning, thanks to the fact tha- Johnson and Heydler could not agree on the selection of a chairman, the case dragged on.
 Garry II<rrmann at the time wa: still chairman of the commission bu as president of the Cincinnati club, contender in the worlds series he wa. in a most peculiar position. 1ntima tions that the Reds were not winning on their merits were nothing more nol less than insults to Garry and, par donably, too, he fatly refused to be lieve the ugly rumors.
 Commission Was Numb. What a fin state for baseball to b. in. A commission with as much lift main spring; a f1oock of ugly rumor floating around; an American Leagu' president who would not start an in vestigation of the rumors because h.
 was sore at Charley Comiskey ant claimed if he started anything i attack rather than an attempt to fer ret out the crooks and gamblers. Johnson Dreamt On. i So Johnson, the czar, dreamt on. II his supreme blindness he turned deaf ear and a sightless eye on ru
 mors of crookedness in his own leagu' when he should have been the frs to demand that every rumor be siftet | to the bottom. Johnson. was, O should have been, in a better position than dHyone elSe III pdSSpdii tO Sol 'ti | low-down on the situation. He coult have saved himself had he taken tha | course from the first, for his would | have been the distinction of unearth | ing the crooked players and gambler and the magnates would have had t stand with him and behind him. It's all different now. Johnson l | through. He has received the ultl matum-an ultimatum that contain no essenece of bluff-and it mean | that hem ust come down from tn l lofty perch he picked out some year 1 ago and admit that his power l | broken.