The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-03

Il With absolute authority.
 the midst of their petty quarrels!
 Being of the great army of fans ard not of the baseball machinery, Judge Landis has a broad viewpoint the very viewpoint that baseball always has needed.
 The Commis ssioner is very careful and deliberate in his consideration of every controversy that is brought to his attention, no matter how small or inconsequential. At the same time he thinks rapidly and can strike quickly if it is necessary.
 A Problem.
 The best instance have ob- served of the judge seeing the prop CT move instantly and making it. which is even more important-was in the way he handled the situation when the game between the Giants and the Tanks was called on ac- count of darkness by the umpires, causing great astonishment and dis satisfaction among the spectators. l can readily appreciate the feelings of the fans. The decision even came as surprise to us on the field The average fan Knows little about the machinations of baseball, the of ficial in whom authority is vested in certain situations. They had heard about Judge Landis, had cheered him as he entered the stand. They naturally thought as Commissioner of Baseball. he ran everything. They did not realize that once a game IS started the umpires authority is absolute. It is necessary that it be absolute. A moments reflection will convince you of that. If there was a court of appeal from an umpire's decision the games would be in con stant wrangle.
 On top of this lack of knowledge the fans realized that as much as $120.000 had been taken in at the sate; that if another game was played that much more money would come in again. In their ex- citement and disappointment the thought immediately arose that this vas merely chance to take advan- tage of technicality and get more money into the pot.
 The fans, thinking the judge re- sponsible, vented their wrath on him. He stood it without saying . word. Tho thing that worried him. though. was that the sportsmanship D oi the game was in question. He saw what a blow to baseball it would be if 35,o00 people went away thinking that the World series, after all, was merely a money making in- stituton; that the outcome of the games mattered little. In New York and throughout the country hun | dreds of thousands of people were perhaps, thinking that right then. o Q o
 Lnndis Acted Quickly.
 Judge Landis acted quickly. Be- fore we had suspected his intention he called in the owners and execu- tives of the two clubs. I'll never l forget the expression on his face, l the anxiety and also determination. Gentlemen" he said, Tit is neces- | sary to give this money to charity. | The public does not understand the | situation"
 In detail then he quickly outlined his plan. Naturally we saw the inn portance of it and acted with him. | By giving that money to charity and showing that the postponement was not for sordid financial reason the I public understood. Everything came out all right.
 The main force of the judges ac- l tion was the rapidity of it. If he had l waited a day or two to give the mat ter consideration the damage would have been done. No amount of after thought could have remedied it. He hit the bulls-eye by acting on the spur of the moment. And he acted l right.
 l l am convinced that the greatest constructive baseball move of recent | years was the placing of authority in | the hands of a commissioner-and making Judge kennesaw NJ. Landis 1 that commissioner
 THE ENE.
 (CopyriHht 1923 United States and