The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-15
Babe Vs. Casey Are Headliners
 h Mighty Fued
By WESTBROOk PEGLER

(Leased Wire to The AEe-Herald) NEW YORK, Oct. 14-The fierce 1 literary controversy between Babe Ruth, the celebrated essayist and in door champion infinitive- splitter of the Yankees, and those members of the Giants who also evince predi- | lection to belles lettres led to severa ! developments Sunday in the presence of some siXty-odd thousand of Ruth S constant readers.
 Maestro Ruth challenged Maestro Stengel of the Giants to a free-style poetry competition. In accordance with the rules of the Authors league, the recipient of the challenge had the right to stipulate the medium of ex- pression to be used in the duel, and Stengel stymied Ruth by choosing the John J. McGraw strategic signal code by which McGraw communi- cates his desires to the members of his team.
 It should be recounted, perhaps, that Ruth began the controversy by composing an article for the press one day last week criticising the dic- tion used by Pancho Snyder, the Giants catcher, in addressing a member of the Yankees while the latter was at bat. Snyder was quoted as having said: Why don't you wash your necl1?" and the Yankee hitter was so distressed by this language
 
 high, inside.
 In his article, Ruth, stickler for purity of diction, insisted that Shy der should have said: why do you not cleanse your neck?"
 Considerable i'll feeling was engen- dered between the Yankees and the Giants and the literary rivalry of the athletes has strongly tinctured their baseball relations as we'll They who were so friendly in the pursuit of the gate receipts less than a week ago are now as bitter toward one another on the field as rival candi- dates for treasurer in any Jersey county you want to name. Ruth Challenges Casey.
 When Ruth issued his challenge to Casey Stengel as leading essayist of the Giants on Sunday afternoon there was intense interest in the selection of the judges. It was obvious that they must be persons of high literary standing. Loud cheers rolled over the Yankee Stadium when the fol- lowing jury was announced: Battling Ski. author of Gen darmes l Have Struck" John J. McGraw, author of Actors I Have Struck"
 K. M. Landis, author of Poses I Have Struck"
 stengel repaired at once to his stu
 
 erary compositions are dictated in the John J. McGraw strategic signal code. He announced that he would stake his literary reputation on an opus in the chaste paleozoic meter characteristic of the sombre epic poets of the court of Old King Cole.
 His manuscript, prepared by the literary secretary of the Giants, was given out to the press after the game, which the Giants lost, incl dentally, 8 to 1. It follows:
 Ain't There No Gentlemen Present. A poor and lonely country girl lit-
 tie orphan maid,
 Came walking down a wicked city
 street.
 The men made goo-goo eyes at her 1 and she became afraid UT each and every one which she did
 meet.
 So she to a policeman went, on a stoop asleep nearby, And shook him by the sleeve in fear and to him she did cry:
 CHORUS
 Why is it, Mister Policeman, that men make eyes at me- I'm simple country girl; why don't
 they leave me be?
 I'm all alone; no home have I, within
 the city's swirl,
 And yet, the men make eyes at me-
 simple country girl" The policeman. he reused himself.
 and blushed with shame that he Asleep upon his duty post had fell. Then looked upon the country girl.
 as lonely as could be, The answer to her question for to
 tell
 But after he had looked her OCT. he | shook his locks of gray And scratched his back upon the
 stoop, and to her he did say: CHORUS ! There's nothing in the manual re- 1 garding what you ask, And lady, I'm afraid you've set for
 me too hard a task. So l advise you for to go down to
 the railroad station
 And ask them at the window where
 the sign says: 1nformation." 1 Maestro Ruth pleaded a stiff elbow and was given a delay of 24 hours in , which to prepare his rival essay, as the McGraw system of signal com munieation is very much like that employed by freight brakemen and involves violent gesturing with the arms.
 Maestro Snyder confined himself to succfnct two hours running com ment on the feud which his casual remark has now aroused
 T talked myself into this" he said finally, and now I'll talk myself