Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-19

SdIldIIld.
These people take to the game very
readily and are very apt" says Maj.
Fegan, athletic officer of the Marine
Corps.
i've have three teams in China play
ing against the natives, British and
Japanese.
In Nicaragua we have two teams
and the natives have two. The same
is the case in Haiti. Panama, Cuba,
Hawaii and other countries.
The Marines have encouraged the
natives of all the West Indies to play
base ball and the game is popular with
these people"
Collegians Go to Orient.
to Japan to play a month or more
against the best of the college and
amateur teams. Nearly every year an
American college team goes across the
Pacific and the japanese look forward
with keen anticipation to these inter-
national series. The Japanese in turn
send their college teams to America and
manage to win many games.
OF all foreign countries the japanese
have taken to base ball most readily.
The game Is popular in Japan, though
in an amateur way, as was the case
with its start in America. Great crowds
attend the games over there and big
parks have been built. A crowd of
$4,000 is not unusual when an Ameri-
can college team is playing the best
team of Japan.
Mexican Trip Planned.
Now that the religious war of Mex
leo has ended. minimizing the posi-
bilities of rebellionS, organized base ball
has its eyes on further invaSions during
the Off season. Two big league teams
may tour Mexico the coming Fall, start
ing after the world series.
Ban johnson always had an idea that
base ball could be popularized in Mex
leo and spent much of his own money
to that end.
There may come time when four
nations will compete in organized base
ball. Canada already completes, having
two teams in the International League,
Toronto and Montreal. At various
and the western provinces have been
represented in American leagues.
Havana May Join Loop.
Next year. says Cliff Green. president
of the Southeastern League. Havana
very likely will be added to his circuit.
This will necessitate travel by airplane.
II Havana comes in, then Miami will
be added to complete the circuit.
Then later on Mexican cities may
likewise compete, with four flags flying
over Americas national game.
Last year members of the American
Legion in the Canal Zone paid all the
expenses of boys team to compete in
the junior world series tournament.
These boys from Panama travelled sew
eral thousand miles.
So base balls expansion program is
being carried on all over the world, and
the game Is finding favor everywhere it
Is played.
Also Working at Home.
But the big effort is being made
right here at home. The big leaguers
are watching keenly the work of the
American Legion and that of the Ma
tional Federation.
1t seems to win converts in foreign
lands. For here at home there is such
q variety of sport offered the boy that
he often turns from base ball.
A quarter of a century back the boy
played base ball in the Spring and Sum-
mer and foot ball in the Fall. In the
Winter he didn't play at all.
Then came basket ball as Winter
sport. Soccer took some Of the boys
from the foot ball fields for a time.
And In the Summer the boys found golf
and tennis available.
The natives of many foreign lands do
not have facilities for golf, tennis and
many Of the other games so popular In
America. And the good old game of
base ball, carried to them by American
missionaries, is therefore making rapid
progress.