New-York tribune., 1920-12-18

TO run on forever, apparentiy-at
straight left jab. If the baseball v
B. B. J. and his loyal FIVE"
Sail loyal FIVE" and 3. B. J. sub
mitted the revolutionary element of
the American League-the three clubs
that threatened to join the National
in new sixteen club combine
TO Just about the fanciest job of
laundering the national pastime has
ever seen. The club owners Of New
York. Chicago and Boston in the dry
cleaning process were steam rolled,
soft soaped. soaked and rnsed till not
the least trace of starch remained
{ then hung out en- the clorhesline for
: to dry"
1t was presumed and SO nominated
in the bond $50 the insiders all main
tained) that all past and petty griev-
ances were to be buried at the time the
loyal FIVE" broke their necks scram
bling back aboard the band wagon at
the peace meeting in Chicago last
month, when convinced the sixteen
= club Circuit was no idle dream. But
IN their own meeting yesterday after
noon these same loyal five walked right
up to the revolutionists and hit them
between the eyes with a sledge ham
mer.
Precedent Thrown to Winds
thrown to the winds. fhe most sacred
tenets of American League govern
ment were violated to put the rebels
in their stalls Precedent would have
restored as board Of directors the own
ers of the New York, Boston, Chicago
and Cleveland clubs for 1921. This was
the board that rode rough shod over
Ban Johnson in the Carl Mays litiga-
ton
When 1t came time for the election
of new board of directors at yester
Lays annual meeting the first secret
ballot cast named Dunn. of Cleveland;
Ball, of St. Louis; Griffin, OF Washing
moment Rupert learned that two Of
his associates of the board Of 1919
(Comiskey and Frazee) had been
slghted be Immediately resigned. lie
was not pressed to remain. Tom Shibe.
of Philadelphia, was then elected TO
take the place Of Rupert.
The American League magnates were
quite within their rights to select the
board of of directors that will act next
year Dunn, of Cleveland; Ball, of st.
Louis; Griffith, of Washington. and
4
tion specifies only that the board shall
consist of four members-two pres-
dents of Eastern and two president IF
Western clubs. But since the Ameri-
can League was first organized it has
been customary to have directorate
honors alternate
Which brings up point that hsrks
away back to the settle ement of internal
chickering's Of the American League in
=, A., - Il
the New York American League club
agreed to call off all suits pending in
civil courts against Ban Johnson and
his five supporters, it was written in
solemn covenant by the lawyers that
drew up the agreement that al should
be forgotten and forgiven in little
handshaking party. In return for the
suppression Of the various suits di-
rected at the authenticity OF Johnsons
contract the majority FIVE agreed to
proceed mthout bias or animous
toward the minority three.
The shattering OF precedent in the
election Of the 1921 board of directors
was only one phase OF the dry-clean-
ing of Mr.. Johnson's erstwhile enemies
(and dry" is used here advisedly), for
if the retiring board had had its way
the eight club owners Jointly would
have had to reimburse Mr.. johnson the
in fighting Colonels Rupert and
Huston in the civil courts.
Another Kick Coming
The retiring board recommended that
the league pay its presidents lawyers
fees in full. It didn't quite get away
with this-at least not for the time
After stormy debate 1t was decided
TO table the motion until such time az
attending counsel that sat in at the
Chicago peace pow-wow would be able
to interpret the spirit and letter Of the
law in phraseology, Eventually. no
doubt, II will mean another kick for
the humble three who have been swept
into the corner with the dust and shay
ings.
That is. II the revolutionist. will
80 dumfounded they hadn't found
voice when interviewed Immediately
after adjournment.
1t was learned later In the evening
on absolutely reliable authority, that
the one Big Three" (now the little
trio) proposes TO stand for no such
manhandling. Charles A. Comiskey
owner Of the White sox, consulted by
long distance phone, declared emphati-
cally for war. and war to the last ditch
There will be put in motion to-day all
the wheels Of laws slow grinding ma
chine that was halted by the peace set.
tlement in Chicago less than year ago
The combine Of New York Chicago
Boston maintains that the so-callec
loyal FIVE" broke the faith and is now
prepared to hurl its million dollar legal
force at the ma jority, to take up all the
suits whare they were left of wher
the armistice was signed. AS there is
little likelihood Of the American
Lesguers untangling Themselves with
out court assistance, perhaps Judge
Lands may have an opportunity to stef
n as commissioner and quiet the boys
before anybody is seriously cut up.
Peace Agreement Ratified
The American League, despite tn,
general m6lee, found time TO ratiYy tn,
peace agreement that binds together
the two major circuits. As the Ma
s,onal League ratified this document a.
sss annual meeting. the instrument l'
row la~ Of the game and Judgt
Lands IL firmly enthroned as tho cour