Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-25
LOCAL BRANCH Of
AMERICAN LEGION
NOT INTERESTED.
Douglas County Post Holds
Aloof From SquabbIe Cur.
rent In Heavyweight Box.
ing Circles.

The Douglas county post OF the
american Legion is not losing sleep.
over the accusations made recently
against Jack Dempsey. Dempsey's
war record is a matter of no con-
Germ whatever to the local branch
OF the legion. The opinionS of other
branches OF the legion ~here and
there over the country are also of
little concern to the local branch
and except for bringing down the
general disapproval Of the Douglas
county post, they have passed un-
Heavyweight boxing circles are
in an uproar.
Certain individual posts of the
american Legion have branded Jack
Dempseyaa Stacker.
Promoters and movie magnates
are bidding themselves delirious for
a match between Georges Carpen-
tier, European champion and Jack
Dempsey.
Bob Martin, Fred Fulton. Frank
Moran, Harry Willis and dozen
or more other aspirants 70 the
heavyweight crown are squawkinY
themselves hoarsc for recognition.
a.. Fans Are Wondering.
Fight fans all over the country are
beginning to wonder just what the
ultimate result of all this hullabapo
will be.
Some declare that Dempsey and
Carpenter will never meet; others
say that the American public will
forget Carpenter entirely after his
first flush OF popularity is spent and
find a contender for the title belt
here in the u. S. A. Others, still.
say that Dempsey's goose is cooked
and that he will gradually fade from
the limelight. There are hundred
other surmises aaoat, but none has
any real foundation.
Time alone will tell and will
/ "telr" probably within a few weeks.
In the meantime, the Douglas
county post of the American legion
is not making the mistake that
few .other posts scattered over the
country have made.
"The American legion is not the
law" says DR.. f. c. Henry, COM
mander of the Douglas county post
in speaking of the matter. Neither
is it the government. What some
persons say about Jack Dempsey
or Bil1 Jones is not of interest to
the American legion, as a body.
"I meAtioned the matter of Demp-
sey's acousers to franklin D'Olier,
national president of the legion
when l visited him in Indianapolis
last week. He agreed that the
American legion would soon make
itself obnoxious to- the American
people if IL were constantly express
sing its opinions on every little mat
ter that turned up"
Dispatches Differ.
But the fact that the American,
Legion is not interested doesn't
settle the doubts in the mind OF the
fight fan.
In one news dispatch we hear that
Dempsey was a draft-dodger and
4 Stacker: that he spent but two
weeks in the shipyards; and that ne
has no dependents.
Hot on its heels comes another
press dispatch from another part OF
the country saying that Dempsey is
virtually the sole support OF his
family: that he did not try-to evade
the draft; that he worked in the
shipyards during the war; and that
he earned more than 500, 600 Tor war
charities during 'the world conflict
n. &C. Derks, sports editor Of the
Salt Lake City Tribune, (Salt Lake
City is Dempsey's home). says in a
special telegram TO The Be-:
"It is entirely safe to say that
Dempsey's family is almost
wholly dependent upon him. 1t
is true. that he has brother but
the brothers earnings are not
large and it is generally re-
ported that his father 10 not
much of a contributor 1t GER
tainly Is 4 oct that but 5or Jack
Dempsey's aid the family would
!. BE in 4 hand -to-mouth class.
Dempsey has q deep affection
for his mother. He has bought
I her a good home here and sends
her quite large sums OF money.
/. All told would say that d Demp-
sey's family is very much de-
pendent on him."
- Board May Decide.
The Army, Navy and Civilian box.
ing board has been asked to settle
the question. The board has not yet
decided whether to wallow into it
OF not. Until they do decide fight
fans will have to depend on their
own observations for opinions.
lack Veiock, sports editor OF In
ternationai News, thinks that weight
would decide the victor. in other
words that Dempsey would put Car.
pcntier to sleep faster than he did
Willard. Others say that Carpen.
tiers clever feet and clever head
will win for him despite all other
odds. :
Ii is pretty generally agreed,
however. that the match would be
well worth going to see.
Yesterdays issue of The Home
! Sector. j" a weekly for the new
civilian, conducted by the former ed,
itoriar council of The Stars and
Stripes,s condemns Dempsey in bit
Ner tones. =,
: An editorial. presumably by Ed
ward B. Van. Zile, ridicules the idea
OF Jack Dempsey being :. called
a.America's greatest fighter" call
ing him instead, "the hero OF few
weeks in the shipyards, the hero OF
Al Ia ,s,tr