Norwich bulletin., 1922-11-16
JOHNSON ADVOCATES THE
 HOYCoTTING OF MINORS

New York, Nov. 15-The bomb which Byron Bancroft Johnson said recent ly he intends to toss into the Ameri- can League meeting in December will be an urgent proposal that the young CT circuit boycott completely the five minor leagues which have stubborn ly held out against the draft. At least, this was the opinion expressed yes- terday by one of the highest baseball authorities in this city-a leading fig ure in the sport, a man on the inside, and, incidentally, man who claim ed to know what he wus talking about.
 Ban Johnson Is going to take a leaf from Charley Ebbett's book" said this informant, who. asked that his name not be mentioned. You all re- member that Ebbetts got up in the National League meeting last year and proposed that the major leagues boy colt the five minor leagues which re- fused to allow their players to be drafted by the big orga anizations. Char i ley proposed that we break off all re- lations, buy none of their players, send none of ours to them for seasoning and in short, have nothing to do with l them.
 "The National League, of course, re- | fused to go along with the Brooklyn President. Now Johnson is going to l try to whip the American League club owners into following the same poli-
 cy. He wants to put the pressure on the minors, and that was what he meant when he said lately that he has a little bomb which he intends to eX- plode in the meeting here"
 ! If Johnson's bomb goes off it will
 come close to blowing the lid off or
 Sfanized baseball The major minor l league agreement, signed by both biz 1 leagues when Judge LaRdis was made
 commissioner, will be blown. to smith
 ereens. The American League will find | itself on the other side of the fence from the National and Commissioner
 Landis In fact, fine baseball wal ] will be on tap. l The draft question has been agitat. 1 ing baseball for the last two years At the time of Landis' induction fivt
 minors-the American Association, In ternational League, Pacific Coas
 League, Southern Association and tht
 Western League-demanded that they
 be exempted from the draft. They go l th0s exemption in the major -minol
 agreement signed by Landis, the twC
 majors and representatives of the mi
 nors.
 When the big leagues repented 0
 their haste last year and revived tn
 draft argument, they found the fiv minors as adamant as a stonewal
 Judge Landis and the Advisory Coun
 Gil brought all kinds of pressure t,
 bear. There were conferences and dis
 cussions and compromises; the major
 even agreed to, raise the draft pric
 $500. When all the shooting was ov
 err the five minors were still stand
 ing firm on the proposition that al
 agreement iGl an agreement
 Some sort of action on the draft i expected when the major leagues mee
 next month, but it was hardly believ
 ed that anything like a boycott woul . be considered. If Johnson succeeds i getting his league to follow his rsug gestion the erstwhile czar of baseba would be in direct conflict with Com missioner Landis for the first tim l'since the former ,jurist took over. tn reins. Landis undoubtedly would b 5 forced to fight the move, and if John
 sonw won he would be back in his ol position of power. In the opinion ( many this is the object of Johnson i, i present -actien-if he is really con sidering Guch an action. f" The slumbering dissension in tn American League would probably |
 aroused anew by Johnsons nov . Bans opponents in the organization the New York, Boston and Chicae : magnates-would undoubtedly oppos 3 him, and it was the opinion last nigf I that the old threat of secession ( these clubs and the formation of
 twelve club National League wou]
 be made. It was this same threat ths : forced Johnson's hand in the Ca a Mays case.
 T In any event, the American Leagr . ] wtuld be by itself, and the majol minor agreement would be broke, What would follow after that, wit |, Judge Landis the storm center, ca ,. only be imagined.
 The Yankee .Colonels, Huston ar
 Ruppert had. no comment to make ( the affair yesterday. They seemed ,,' be in a watchful waiting attitude.