The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-10

: to materialize. John II. Farrell was re- |, elected secretary for ten years and Mike | sexton of Rock Island, was reelected | president.
 WAR TO THE FINISH" Previous to his address before the con- l venton President lJohnson issued state l ment declaring Tit was war to fin- l isl" and that the American league would ! place new clubs in Chicago, New York l and Boston, to replace those joining the !! 1 new National league. 1 What baseball needs is to get rid of l isomc of it's recalcitrant club owners, he said. President Johnson declared that he was in favor of granting the minor leagues 1 equal representation of the proposed new National commission, sharing equal
 power with American and National l leagues. The American league executive said the ! management of baseball should remain 1 in the hands of men who have given their I lives to it's development, declaring they were better qualified to cleanse the sport | of it's crookedness than any one outside | of the game. He declared his opposition 1 to the Lasker plan and urged the minor l leaguers to remain neutral to the major league if they decided not to indorse the proposal to appoint representative committee in an effort to bring harmony
 
 After reveanng the inside story of l the situation, which resulted in the break Of the major leagues, Attorney Miller explained his opposition to the adoption of the Lasker plan He said that the plan had it's conception in the idea that | something must be done with the pub | lie" to offset the scandal revealed in 1 the world series of 1919. q think the baseball loving public is | as hard to bunk as the average base 1 ball nian,' Attorney Miller said, and l if we are going to reorganize baseball | let US reorganize 1t on sound, sane, practical basis that will get us some l where and not with the idea of deceiving I the public into believing that we are doing something that we are not doing. l The first conception of the Lasker plan is that commission Of eminent and distinguished gentlemen who stand | so high in the estimation of the public | that the very mention of their names will carry with it evidence of good faith, l be selected to take charge of organized | baseball. Do you think those men could come anywhere near stamping gambling out of baseball than you men who have been in the game all your lives? We l think that the men who are to consti 1 ute the supreme court of baseball, or l at least majority of them should be practical baseball men" | JOHNSON'S STATEMENT l President Johnson of the American league, in his address to the minor l leagues, characterized A. D. Lasker of l Chicago, sponsor of the Lasker plan for baseball reorganization, as "one who has not shed his swaddling clothes in baseball" and declared minors should not show any partiality tofeither side
 of the dispute. 1 Tt must be clear to you that you should pursue a central course showing | fDrr4 ffAlt 1t+ fl~t President Johnson said. | There is question as to whether there will be any serious difficulties I to adjust, but I believe my position | should be made clear I think you should have equal representation on | the national board and that you should | l have equal power with the American 1 and National leagues. We can offer 1 you no more at this time. I have been 1 | authorized by our board of directors | to request you to appoint a committee 1 of three to meet a committee of the l same number from the National and | American league to .e~reorganize the l
 game and all the differences should be swept aside in view of the serious | conditions that confront baseball. Tt is my thought that baseball should | remain in the hands of men who have | given their lives to its development. You are the men who should cleanse | the game. You are better qualified to | do the work than any one outside of l baseball. I have been cautioned not to l talk too much, but I want to say that | do not approve of the Lasker planJ devised by one who has not shed his swaddhng clothes in baseball. How can such an individual direct the af- fairs of the game or it's reformation" It was the first time in the history of baseball that President Johnson has ann rad vention.
 NO ACTION TAKEN
 The minor leaguers adjourned with
 out taking any action the recom-
 mendation of, the American league off, flcials, but the sentiment prevailed to-
 night that the Lasker plan would re- celye no consideration from the minors at this time. August Hermann. ownerI of the Cincinnati Nationals and former chairman of the national commission.
 will address the minor leaguers to- morrow and explain the stand of the proponents of the Lasker plan.
 The political shake-up in the Na- tional Association of Minor Leagues
 failed to materialize today when the league president elected officers. John
 H. Farrell of Auburn, N. r., who was slated to be eusted from office, was
 reelected secretary and treasurer for
 a period of 10 years.
 NJ. H. Sexton of Rock Island, ILL, was | elected president, but reserved his
 decision until tomorrow. The minor leaguers plan to place the president on a salary of $5,000 annually and have
 that official take a more active in- terest in the management of the
 minors affairs. Heretofore, Mr. Sex ton served without compensation and devoted only a little time to league af-
 fairs.
 MT. Sexton was a candidate to suc-
 ceed Secretary Farrel but his SUD-
 porters failed to muster enough votes.
 John D. Marty pf V emphis. Tenn.
 president of "A se1axafrn association. was elected gltA f'l es mt.
 Preliminary tc he election, the
 league president diae, ssed the advisa-
 biIity os regueSIine- ssate legislatures
 to pass strict lar provision pro%id-
 ing for prison sentences for persons convicted pf brining 2 baseball player to throw g&rAes. The proposal was referred to a coinrHi't Zee on resolutions, xl~s I