The New York herald., 1921-02-23
BASEBALL DOES NOT
BRIBE JUDGE LANDIS
SO Says John Heydler in An,
swer to Congressman
Welty's Attack.
IGNORANT OF THE FACTS
President of National League
Intimates Jurist Will Quit
the Bench.

OhC pNlAtIs
John Heydler. president OF the Ma
toned League made statement yester-
day defending Judge I.andis. He said
he was confident that In due time the
noted jurist would devote all of his time
and talent exclusively to baseball
The statement was an answer to the
criticism which had been heaped upon
3he noted jurist by Congressman Welty.
He said that Representative Welty made
misstatements and that he is woefully
ignorant of the facts. He vehemently
denied that baseball is paying the Judge
a big salary In the nature OF a bribe
In his statement President Heydler
said:
I'm common with other citizens
would regret II, In seeking to strengthen
and bulwarking our national game, the
country should eventually be deprived
Of jurist of the high character OF
Judge Lands. At the same time, I feel
that In due time the Judge will devote
all OF his talent and energy exclusively
to baseball.
Regardless of whether or not he does
so, is high time that the mlsstate-
nac' Of n Representative in Congress
Concerning national institution SUCH
as baseball go no longer unchallenged.
Whca 2 public man makes a statement
that baseball Is paying a big salary 10
Judge Landis In nature of a bribe then
that man is either wilfully misrepresent-
ing the whole situation or he Is woefully
ignorant OF the facts.
To-day there are only two cases be-
fore the urts In which baseball as a
whole Is ncerned. Judge Lands has
had nothing to do With the inception or
9" 'teol either, nor will he have any
thing to do with their future conduct
or determination from judicial .;tand-
joint
Decision Reverted.
Great stress has been laid on one
Of these cases by Mr.. Welty. this being
the 1919 finding Of lower court In
Washington, that baseball was a COM
bination in violation of the Sherman
act. 1t apparently does not serve lur
Welty's purpose to add what Is most
recent and important, namely, that this
finding was completely reversed Decem-
Der 6, 1920, by the Court of Appeals
of the District of Columbia, which higher
court sustained our contentious on every
count. in that (1) baseball does not
constitute trade or commerce CD that
the game is not trade. but is sport, and
(9) that the reserve clause in the play
er's contract is legal and that 1t is
meant to conserve the personnel of the
clubs that II is needed for the enforce
ment of discipline and to deter players
from violating their contracts.
For q score of years baseball has
been fighting to establish these points,
feeling as we do they are fundamental
in principle and necessary to preserve
competition. We are not avoiding. in
fact. we are anxious to have a final de-
cision on these points from the United
States Supreme Court. In the mean
time baseball is operating legally and
morally within both the letter and spirit
Of the law.
Nor has Judge Lands anything to
do with the trial Of the White Sox
players by the Cook County Court OF
Illinois. This is entirely out of his
jurisdiction. Later on, IL it should de-
Yelop that convictions cannot be secured
under existing statutes. then these cases
will come before him for trial under
baseball law. And this contingency Is
assuredly one of the reasons why far
sighted baseball men sought man OF
Judge Landis's qualifications.
Settled Internal Fight.
The other reasons are that, after a
bitter internal fight in our own ranks,
Landis was the only man who could be
agreed upon as the sole arbitrator of
baseball disputes. He was not finan-
cially interested in any club or league,
and he brought to the office the re-
quired courage apa Independence. to-
gether with MISUNDERSTANDING and keen
knowledge of baseball conditions.
THE decision 10 remain OIL the bench
was the decision of Judge Lands. 1t
was not by request of the baseball peo-
Jae t. cit kn1 1T
duties In favor of his ncx duties Most
Of our baseball reconstruction work was
in Chicago. AS far as / know the only
time the Judge has been In New York
fer baseball conferences was on n Sat-
urday and Sunday which enabled him
TO be b,ck on the bench early Monday
his opponents will not get far on that
charge.
mo matter what Congress may do or
what the courts of the land may do
baseballs big job is within itself 1t
is plainly a moral job. It is the fulfill
ment OF promise to the public that
every vestige OF douot concerning the
honesty of the game be removed. The
men who put Judge Lands at the head
OF this work were determined that,
whatever might happen TO their invest
ments the game itself, must be saved at
all costs, even If in the carrying out of
that principle the whole existing or
ganzation be wrecked and the building
be started all over again. There never
was q more serious situation than that
confronting the sport during the Mo-
vember conferences at Chicago.
"Basebalps task is to put it's own
house in order. and II has made n good
start In that direction. Rather than be
embarrassed in this endeavor we should
have the aid OF every good sportsman
in and out Of Congress and our State
legislatures to give US laws that will put
an end to the bribing type of gambler.
'1t surely IL OF more concern TO keep
our national sport clean and so preserve
the morale Of millions Of our boys than
is the question OF whether one man can
serve two masters. for the latter is
about all that can be determined by
the Washington impeachment proceed
ings.
"As far as baseball Is concerned, Moth
Ing that has been said in Congress will
shake our determination TO go ahead on
tho right course we have shaped. and
we are confident that TO one can sue
cessfully assaii tho Americanism, inher-
cnt honesty aud fearlessness OF the man
baseball has chosen TO perform a real
public service"