The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-11-29

An English writer, meeting the American ball players, Giants and White Sox, on their recent tour of Great Britain experienced disappoint-
 .I expected a gang of huskies, a bunch of toughs with Bowery accent and an Apache slouch. Instead, l met a group of clear-eyed American uni versity graduates and one of the best looking band of athletes which have in- vaded England" he says.
 The writer feels that England, too, was keenly disappointed. England ex- pected the ball players to chew tobac- co and talk like O. Henry. He inter- viewed several of them. It appears that he spent much of his time talking to Hank Gowdy and Gowdy, the writer says, spoke with an American Oxford accent, which caused even greater sur prise.
 England's impression of America has been gained chiefly through English lectures and writers who came to the United States for the purpose of writ ing and talking their impressions. The United States has been overrun with these observers and their reports have,
  much credit upon this country. The visit of the American ball players did a great deal more good for the United States than it did to show Great Brit ain what baseball is like.
 As far as baseball goes Great Brit ain is not going to like baseball any more than we are going to like cricket. They understand no more about it than we do about cricket. As missionaries for baseball the Giants and White Sox accomplished nothing in Great Britain but as ambassadors of the United States they did great deal of good.
 
 Twenty years, ago we doubt wheth- CT any writer abroad could have said about any two American baseball teams what this writer said about the Giants and White Sox of the present season, or what he would say about any other two major league teams. Had this writer been all observer twenty years ago he would have discovered that the ball players of the majors were a tough lot, with much profanity, and while they probably did not use an Apache slouch they surely had Bowery swag- ger. Also, England would have dis covered them men that were divided | Their speech would have resembled pages from O. Henry.
 This was true of ball players twenty years ago, but the type has changed completely. The ball players of today are better educated and nearly all of them have at least veneer of refine ment. The coarse and vulgar are gen. orally looked down upon by the profess sionaI player. There is a new style to be followed.
 The same is true in several other sports. You find a different type of men engaged in them. The beetle browed performer is still found but there are less of his breed mixed up in sports today and even those low of brow have tried to conduct themselves as near to the standards of their fel- lows as possible
 The rough neck no longer has sway in sports. The loud, the 1ewd, the vul- gar, have been made the object of so much ridicule and derision that their ways are changed. It is noticeable chiefly in baseball.
 One reason is that sport now claims a universal following and with high CT class of patrons the type of the men in uniform consequently became high CT. Another reason is that salaries have increased tremendously. A large num- Der of major leaguers are drawing salaries of $1O,00O or more. With the money to spend they gained entrance to branches of social entertainmen5 that formerly were barred to them and the new environment had its effect. Still another reason is the number of college men that entered the profes- suit of college training, had its effect upon the non-collegiates in the ranks.