Evening star., 1922-02-05

ment to ma se the draft mandatory
This agr cement was ratified by
the owners OF all leagues more than
a year ago when Judge Lands was
named commissioner of base ball,
and was subscribed to jointly for a
period Of seven years to parallel his
term. 1t gives minor leagues the
privilege of accepting or refusing
draft on their PLAYERS by leagues OF
higher classification at variously
graded sums. those declining being
denied the right TO draft on lower
class circuits.
Only Five Leagues Dissent.
OF the twenty-six minor leagues
operating last year only five rejected
the draft, they being the three class
AA circuits-Pacific Coast. American
Association and New International
the class \ Western League and the
class B Three-Eye League.
Thus far all efforts. including those
of Judge Landis. have failed to in
duce the dissenting five to trail with
the majority. The commissioner has
voiced the belief that elimination OF
the draft by the big minor leagues
bars deserved advancement of bush
league players, and at the Bunale
meeting of the minor leaguers las,
December he warned the non-con-
formists that their attitude was
power for harm to the welfare OF
the game. Later at great JONI
meeting of the majors and minors In
New York committees were, appointed
to effect some satisfactory compro'
mise. if possible. but the resulting
proposal to increase the draft price
from $1,000 to $500 already has
been rejected by the American Asso.
citation and Pacific Coast League and
all indications point to similar actloi
by the International moguls at thelI
forthcoming session.
Grif Would Gust EN-.
Clark Griffith is prepared to go be-
fore his fellow magnates at the Hotel
Washington. when President johnson
calls the American League meeting
to order at o'clock Wednesday art
ernoon. and advocate the severance
of all relations with the five dissent
ing leagues unless they embrace the
draft.
According to Griff this would not
constitute a violation of the base bail
agreement on the part of the MAJORS,
the objecting circuits are concerned
his contention being that so far as
the agreement noslonger holds good
the class AA leagues having broken
the pact by spurninS the increase In
draft price offered. after agreeing to
accept it; the others By iilegailS
raising their classificationS and all by
refusing to indorse the plans formu-
lated by Judge LandiS. in violation
of their pledge to abide by the dc
tates Of the commissioner in formu-
latinG policies to foster the welfare
and legally protect the game.
Whether Griff's plan will be Of
f1cially indorsed by the American
Ieaguers is question. 1t will be
recalled that the suggestion of Iresi-
dent Ebbets of the Brooklyn club to
prohibit traffic in players between the
of organized base ball after being
subscribed to by the National League
was dropped when Judge Lands
pointed out that it would prove a
greater bar to the advancement of
players than now exists.
Another Solution Possible.
1t is believed in many quarters that
the draft problem can be solved in
another way. When it originally
repudiated the draft the International
LfsBue held that no amendment to
the eNisting major-mi agreement
was possible before the end of it's
seven-year life, but this is believed
to be false premise, as the pact is
interpreted as providing that the ad-
visory board, composed of representa-
tiveS of the major leagues, may at
any time recommend amendments
which may be effective by majority
vote of the major and minor league
clubs.
This being the case, another joint
conference of all interests could be
called; to meet in this city or in New
York, where the National Leaguers
will coavene next week, and put the
draft proposition through. In addi-
ton to the American and National
leagues twenty-one of the existing
minor circuits favor the drafting
principle, not to mention others given
charters since the last meeting of the
National Association of Base Ball
Leagues, the official name of the
minors organization. There is little
doubt as to the outcome of such a
vote. The five objecting circuits then
would have to accept the verdict or
declare war by seeding from or
ganized base ball. In Withdrawing
they would lose the sympathy of the
public by violating their treaty OBJ
legations, and there is no question of
where they would finish in battle
pf dollars