New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-09
No Color Line
For Dempsey,
Says Manager
Omaha Statement of Cham
pion Refers to johnson
Only, According to Kearns
By Jack Lawrence

JACK hearns, manager of Jack Demp-
sey, said last night at the Hotel Bel.
mont that the conqeror of Georges
carpenter was probably mlsquoted in
dispatches received here from Omaha.
In which the heavyweight champion
was reported to have said that he had
drawn the color line and would meet M
colored aspirants for his fistic crown.
kearns declared that the statements
alleged to have been made bv the
champion to reporters at Omaha, where
he made a brief stop yesterday en-
route to Salt Lake City, the home Of
his mother, referred solely to Jack
johnson, and that in a hasty inter-
view they were taken to include all
colored fighters.
Johnson, who defeated James J. JEFF
fries, former heavyweight champion,
VIII be released from Leavenworth
prison on Monday. having served a
term there for violation of the Mann
act. He is reported to have benefited
physically by his stay behind bars and
weight at the present time is said to
be under that at which he won the
heavyweight title from Jeffries.
AAAS OAidIsd OtdteHeHC
The Omaha dispatches quote Demp-
sey as saying that he was unwilling
to fight Jack Johnson or any other
negro fighter"
The quoted statement follows:
~ Will never meet q colored man.
TheSe is nothing to this talk of me
meeting Jack Johnson. / am confident
that the public does not want this fight.
ana while | will govern myself to a
Large extent according to the wishes of
the pubic, can't see my way clear to
hight johnson or any other colored
man. | will meet any one else that
Jack Kearns picks for me- Gibbons,
l understand, is a good man, although
l nave never seen him work. AS /
nave drawn the color line, am free to
say that | think Harry Wills is a great
n1ghter, who will whip the very best of
any time-and beat him, too"
In the opinion of Jack Kearns these
statements are taken to allude only to
Johnson, with whom Kearns says he
Will nave no dealings. The champion's
manager takes the view that Johnson
would be poor drawing card in the
East, and that his appearance in these
parts might do the game an irrepar-
able injury. So far as Kearns is CON
cerned, Johnson may paddle his own
canoe, but he will never be seen within
roped square with Jack Dempsey.
1T isn't question of drawing a
color line" said Kearns. johnson is
too old and has past which reflects
no credit on the boxing game. The
public could not be expected to take
seriously bout in which he was a
principal. Johnson's temperance or
the fistic horizon is more of a Joke
than anything else right now. Jack
Dempsey is willing to meet any man
in the world who has just claim to
d battle with him, but he has not yet
reached the point where he is forced
to wait at the gates of Leavenworth
prison for an opponent"
Confers With Greb's Manager
Tex Richard, promoter of the Demp-
sey-Carpentier battle, said last night
that he had not arranged for the re-
appearance of either Jack Dempsey or
Georges Carpenter in the ring, but
among the wiseacres at Madison SQUARE
Garden it was said that Richard and
George Engle, manager of Harry Greb
had held q long conference yesterday
in which arrangeme were made that
practically clinches bout between the
Pittsburg scrapper and the Frenchman.
This fight, according to unofficia