Great Falls tribune., 1921-05-11
BASEBALL SEASON
OPENS ON RHINE;
YA|VKS IN LEAGUE
American Soldiers Form Eight
Club Circuit and Game
Takes Precedence.

Coblenz, May 1O-The baseball sea-
son on the Rhine has opened and now is
| in full swing, for the national game fol-
lows the American flag. Uncle Sans
army here has big league" of its own
and, with the coming of spring. base
ball has taken precedence over all other
forms of sport.
Coblenz has three teams entered in
the league, while mines from Andernach,
Neuwied, Engers, Mayen and Sayn
make up the eight teams. Two games
are played each week by all teams and,
while it is too early in the season to
predict whether any .Ty Cobbs or Babe
Ruths will be developed. the brand Of
baseball which is being dished out here
would compare favorably with high
class amateur or semi professional
teams which play Saturday games in
States.
Besides the regular league, every
company has its baseball nine and from
these are taken from time to time ambi-
tious youngsters to graduate in the
'big league"
Boxing Is Popular.
Boxing and soccer football which
have been to the fore during the past
winter have now practically been rele-
gated to the second place. The Third
battalion of the Eighth infantry won the
soccer championship from the Second
battalion of the Eighth infantry and
the footballs have now been put in
camphor until the fall.
Boxing, in spite of the hot weather,
still retains much of the vogue it has
enjoyed during the winter. AT the Y.
NJ. G. A. Liberty hut few evenings
ago between 1000 and 5000 officers
and men. with General Allen occupying
a ringside seat, gathered to see ten
round bout between Leo Higgins Of
Jersey City, the featherweight cham
pion of the American army OF occupa-
ton, and Dienard, the French cham
pion, who had come up from Mayence
to try conclusions with the American.
The French champion won and, al
though the doughboys were greatly
disappointed at the defeat Of their ia
vorite, they cheered the winner with as
much enthusiasm as if he had been one
of them. Some pretty fair fighters
have been developed.
The basketball season closed early in
April and the pennant was won by the
Sth Infantry.
Officers Play Polo.
Officers have become addicted to the
polo habit. Four teams are playing
semiweekly games and the command
ing general is taking deep interest in
the games. He is encouraging officers
to take up riding, as he told the cor
respondent it was zone branch of the
service in which we were somewhat be-
hind the other armies of occupation on
the Rhine" This deficiency is being
promptly remedied, however.
The spring trials of the Coblenz Rae
ing club, which took place early in
April, developed some spirited racing
over the half mile track. Forty-four
horses, ridden by American army Off
GERS. were entered in the five races
and, but for the absence Of bookmaking.
the affair would have looked like real
racing at any we'll regulated. tra.:k.
The Y. M. G. A. is maintaining S6
tennis courts throughout the area and
nine courts in Coblen1.
A golf course with a well appointed
clubhouse is in operation at Airdrome
field, a few miles out of Coblenz.
Another well frequenteo scot is the
army library, composed of $4,000 vol
umes, under the management of tie |
7. NJ. c. A.. and which ii opened to Of
ficers and men from to 10 p. VI. I
The Salvation Army canteen and
Men club is also very popular with !
the boys.
Both welfare organizations are doing !
their utmost to make the American sol
der in Germany feel somewhat nearer |
home and it is the consensus Of opin-
on, from the commanding general down,
that they are doing wonderful work |
and that their departure from the field
would create a void which It would be
to fill.