The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-03
WILLS SHOULD BE| GIVEN BOUT WITH CHAMP, THINKS UM
Fact That He Was Born a Negro Should Not Bar Him
 Says Corbett
By JAMES J. coRBErT

If Jack Dempsey polishes off Jess Willard and Georges Carpenter, there will be another formidable fighter dis putting his absolute fistic supremacy, And that man is none other than Harry Wills, the giant negro.
 Dempsey never mas taken the attitude that he won't fight Wills-nor has he stated positively that he would give the dusky warrior q chance But those who know Dempsey intimately are certain that if the time comes when insistent public voice asks him to fight Wills. he will not back away from it.
 Confidence is Dempseys keynote. He feels that he can whip any fighter in the world-whte or black. He loves to fight and the tougher the opposition the better he likes it. If the fighting was left entirely in Dempseys hands, the chances are that he'd be out battling every week or so.
 There is a thought in some quarters that Wills should be uened the chance with Dempsey simply because he is a negro. It is pointed out that Jack John son disgraced the fistc game while he was king of the sport and there are some folks who think that Wills might do likewise.
 GRIEVOUS INJUSTICE But this is q grievous injustice to " HIS anu lO tI6 litSlO Idct 'fto d WuulC- Just because one negro discredted him self and brought criticism upon his pro- fession is no reason to believe that every negro will do so. There nave been many negro fighters-some of them champions and not one left any sunsavory records behind him.
 George Dixon. Joe Cans, Peter Jackr son and Joe Wolcott are among ths l foremost negro fighters in modern his- A Of ring warfare and figured in hundreds of bat 1 tles Yet they ended their careers in a blaze of glory. They were, while cham i pions or topnotcners, as far removed 1 from Johnson in habits as is the north and south pole.
 1 Both Dixon and Cans lived quietly and cleanly-something that cannot be said of all the white champions. | The negro race must not be penalized
 with the accusation that it's champion would reflect dscredit upon pugilism
 merely because Johnson did so. His was
 an isolated case. Success, fame, na-
 turally weak morals and an abundance
 of money-all contributed to Johnson $
 downfall Just because he slipped and | became involved in numerous escapades
 is no reason to assume that other negro l fighters would do the same if they be- came champion.
 BELIEVES JACK WOULD WIN
 
 1 Personally, I believe that if Dempse,
 ever took on Wills, the champion would l win without excessive effort. Wills i! one of those slow-moving fellows of thu type seemingly made to order for Demp say. Wills, in his fight with Fulton demonstrated certain weaknesses, mos conspicuous of which was slow punch ling and frequent missing. He missed i Fulton a dozen times or more with off balance punches-and still won the fight But he will not win any fight witl Dempsey if he executes any such misses | Wills conduct in or out of the rin' so far has been above criticism. He j a quiet, clean living, home-lovng negro He has had reasonable degree of sue cess, considerable praise-but it hash turned his head. He is modest, quie and unassuming, Wills habits are good Wills has made good record as a fight CT. Perhaps he isn't in Dempseys class
 but if the time comes when Dempse
 wants a fight and he has knocked owe
 the Willard and Carpentisr opposition
 Wills should not be denied chanc , simply because he was born negro. N Copyright uf2l, by Ming Feature Syndicate Inc.)