New-York tribune., 1921-12-13
Baseball Faces
Serious Hitch
In Confab Here
President of International
Raises Point of Law
on System of Selection
By w. !. Macbeth

By w. ]. Macbeth
Organized baseball is confronted
with its first serious hitch since the
Dove Of Peace alighted in its backyard
some years back with the selection Of
Judge Kenesaw Mountain Lands as
Commissioner. The storm (if it
breaks) will hit some time Thursday
with the first meeting Of the advisory
council at the Hotel Commodore.
The scrap will be over the drafting
privileges Of the major leagues. At Its
meeting yesterday the new Interna-
tional League raised point Of Law
that the advisory council, it is ex-
pected, will challenge. Not only chal-
lenge, but fight to the death. John
Conway Toole. president Of tho new
International League, in supporting the
fight Of Baltimore Jack Dunn against q
restoration Of draft privileges by the
majors on his circuit, held that no pos
sible move toward amendment of the
existing working agreement between
major and minor leagues could be made
until the expiration of the term Of the
seven-year pact originally signed.
That pact which ushered in the Lam
dis regime for q period of seven years,
gave the contracting minor leagues the
privilege Of declaring for or against
draft privileges or obligations. The
three Glass AA leagues and the three
Class A leagues SO declared against
the draft. The great majority of minor
leagues were favorable to a return to
former conditions. These, who have
felt heavy financial strain because
of the exemption In the higher classes,
have been working for restoration Of
the draft universally throughout the
minor leagues.
Declare Against Reopening Issue
President Toole and the majority of
his colleagues base their stand that the
draft issue cannot be reopened until
the expiration Of it's seven-year term on
Paragraph A. Section II of Article II
of the major-minor league rules, which
reads in full as follows:
"A minof league which does not
desire to accept the system Of selec-
tion (draft) shall serve notice to that
effect on the Commissioner on or be-
fore February Is, 1921, such notice to
be transmitted through the Office Of
the secretary Of the National Asso-
Cl0LlOu LII QC1du4t "a SUN uOtlC0 .
minor league shall be deemed to have
accepted the system Of selection"
Major league clubs, to which the
matter Of draft is Of small personal
issue, but who sympathize with the
great majority of minor leagues, which
are being harassed by their bigger
brethren for selfish reasons, maintain
that Mr.. Toole puts an absolutely in
correct Interpretation on the above
quoted paragraph of the agreement.
This contention seems we'll based. Mr..
Toole infers that because the New In
ternational League did not accept "the
system of selection" it is immune from
any possible outside interference.
Major league magnates who have de-
termined to make an issue of the draft
with the dissenting minors intend at
the joint meeting of the majors to de-
nand a showdown from the advisory
council, which will meet here this
week. They will proceed under the
very clear-cut and unmistakable Sec
tion () of Article vi, which is sub
headed Acceptance and Amendment"
and which reads as follows:
1.-THE foregoing rules have been ac-
cepted by the major and minor
leagues. The advisory council may
propose amendments from time to
time for the concurrent action of the
major and minor leagues.
"(Signed) Kenesaw Mountain Lands
Commissioner, 3. B. Johnson, John
A. Heydler, NJ. II. Sexton, j. H. Far
rell."
Want Agreement Amended
The five who signed this article con-
stitute the Advisory Council. The joint
major league meeting will therefore
propose that the Advisory Council ask
the National Association (Which is all
Of the minor leagues) to reconsider
and amend that part Of the agreement
relating to the draft. This would put
the question squarely up to a majority
vote of National Association delegates.
If the major leagues and majority
of the minors then wished to amend,
action could be taken which would
oblige acceptance on the part of all
minor leagues exempt from the draft.
1t is we'll known that great major
ity of the minor leagues wish to use
this club to have universal draft re-
stored throughout the National Asso-
citation. Also it is known that Conf
missioner Landis sympathizes with the
''majority" feeling He SO expressed
himself at the Buffalo meeting last
week. The influence of the Judge has
occasioned weakening in many quar-
ters among those who were the most
ViOieuC TeacllOnaTleS. JACK Dunn, VINO
had declared all along that he would
never sell one of his Baltimore cham
pions, was negotiating for the sale of
Bentley to Cincinnati last night.
There ia little doubt that the Ad-
visory Council will recommend amend
ment. as this is favored by Lands,
Heydler, Johnson and Farrell, if in
deed not by Sexton also. Such a rec
ommendation would necessitate a spe-
cial meeting Of the National Associa-
tion. delegates, but these without ex-
ception are now in New York The
week seems to promise much beside
the usual hot air of talk and trades