The Washington times., 1935-12-28
GriffSure
to Fight
Racing
Bv KIRK MILLER
Times Sports Editor

and much written, about tne
opposition which will come
from Maryland to thorough
bred horse racing in the Dis
trict of Columbia, a measure
to legalize which that grand
dame, Mrs. Mary Norton, has
promised to introduce after
Congress convenes January 8.
But, my friends, if I were
Good Time Walter O'Hara,
who wishes to rededicate Ben
ming to the improvement of the
thoroughbred, I would not lose
nearly so much sleep. if the guy
actually loses sleep over any
thing. in view of Maryland op-
position, as I would over oppo-
Sition from a local source here
tofore not taken into calculation.
One Negative Vote
President Clark Calvin Grit
fifth, of the washington Baseball
Club, to give him his full title,
Is the Ethiopian in the woodplle,
when it comes to legalized horse
racing in Washington.
Griff doesn't any more want the
ponies scampering in Washington,
when baseball weather comes
around, than he wants Buck New
som to negotiate Niagara Falls in
q barrel.
Griff so happens to have whale
of a lot of friends up on Capitol
Hill. He crashes many of their
offices without even sending in his
card. incidentally he can just
about out-maneuver the most OF
the politicians in both House and
Senate. too, who happen to be in
line with Mrs. Norton's thought.
I expect the greatest fight to be
carried on from Seventh and Flor
ida Avenue against Benning rae
ing; a quiet, unpublicized under
cover attack on horse racing, both
as a gambling vice as we'll as a
nuisance to baseball.
A Far-Flung Battle
My friends, baseball is some
thing of a political football in a
lot of States of the Union. The
legislators of Missouri, to begin in
the WesternmoSt State wherein
the majors operate; Illinois, Ohio,
Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York
and Massachusetts,. will all be con-
tacted by the owners of clubs in
their sectors-contacted to kill any
bill legalizing horse racing here
where their local teams meet the
Griffs.
And since organized baseball
Is ball of twine that reaches
also into many important minor
league communities, each greatly
dependent on the majors, and
vice versa, you will find a bar
ricade built up around the propo-
sition of horse racing in Wash
ington, that will resemble the
great wall Of China. Baseball
people must hang together. or
they will hang separately.
The skeptics of such an argyll
ment may say that baseball
hasn't been able to keep horse
racing out of Illinois, New York,
Massachusetts,, and lot of other
States, and they would be right.
The issue of horse racing there
Is entirely local to the State and
those State legislators can't be
besieged from so many points OF
the American compass.
Vulnerable To Attack
The fact that laws for Wash
ington are in the hands Of
Congress that originates from the
entire countryside makes horse
racing here vulnerable to opposi-
ton from scores Of sources
friendly to baseball.
Finally, Griff is able to stir up
no little opposition to racing
locally because of moral objec.
tions. Why, the mans annual
pass list to the clergy of Wash
ington is exceeded only by his
newspaper pass list. and that's
no emaciated starveling.
And, I am as confident that
baseball will "go to work" against
horse racing for Washington as I
am that the objections from
Maryland can be ironed out salts
factorily to the big thoroughbred
racing interests there.
It would certainly be a two
faced attitude for Maryland horse
lovers to favor something for their
own domain that they would con-
denim for their neighbors. al
though that is a front we find in
State and national politics, and,
in fact, found a shining example
thereof here when racing was last
proposed.
If an avoidance of conflicts of
dates can be agreed upon between
Maryland tracks and the District
interests, the greatest hurdle
toward local racing will have been
negotiated.
Personally, I cannot see how
horse racing in Washington dur
ing the month of August, when
Saratoga holds sway, would be
Objectionable to Marylanders. In
the spring, too. the horses are
usually out of the Free State by
May Is, leaving two weeks or
month for Washington racing,
with which Maryland should have
no quarrel.