Evening star., 1937-12-11
MAX'S ENT0URACE
FEARS DEEP PLOT
1t Would Be Blow to Mike
Jacobs if German Won
Title and Froze It.
BY JOHN LARDNER,


- lit is the churlish ambi-
ton Of Harry Thomas, q lin
Der young athlete from Chi
cago, to make sucker out Of Mr..
Joseph Vussel the MUSCLE Jacobs
This Is hard to do, and not very cour-
teous, either, but Mr. Thomas would
rather make Mr.. Jacobs look silly than
be President.
Mr.. Thomas will fight Max Schmel-
ing Monday night at Madison Square
Garden. 1t was Mr. Joseph Jacobs
CLaddie" to the members of the polo
set) who picked Mr., Thomas for this
role, under the happy -go-lucky i'm
preston that Mr.. Thomas was a
stooge. Mr.. Jacobs needed q stooge,
and he picked Mr.. Thomas. Mr..
Jacobs is very lavish with this sort of
employment.
A couple Of months ago, Herr
Schmeling cabled his American agent
(the same Mr.. Jacobs, known as
"Hell-for-Leather" around the Rio
Grande) that he wanted a fight in
America in December. He left the
choice of stooge to Joseph, with the
utmost confidence in Mr.. Jacobs tact
and discernment. After all, Mr..
Jacobs has trafhcked with so many
stoogeS in his time that he can pick
them blindfolded.
Some Of the boys are saying, in fact,
that Mr.. Jacobs must have been blind
folded when he picked Harry Thomas.
Jacobs Boys Swap Amenities.
| 1PON receipt of Herr Schmeling' S
cable, Mr.. Jacobs strolled around
to the office Of his 8lst cousin, Mr..
Michael Strauss Jacobs, to see what
Michael had in stock. Michael con-
trois four -fifthS Of this country's sup
ply OF caulifiower on the hoof. He has
stooges Of all weights and descriptions.
My big German wants a December
hght," said Mr., Joseph Jacobs, after
he and Michael had exchanged the
time of day and couple of penetrat-
ing stares.
We have very fine line" said
Michael. I'VE have Adamick and Co.
Coy and Brescia and Gastanaga and
Barlund, and this here now Harry
Thomas of Chicago
I will take that there now Thomas. "
said Yussel the Muscle after a brief
spell OF musing. Wrap him up"
And that is why Schmel.ng is fight
ing Thomas and why Mr.. Thomas is so
anxious to make a sucker out of Mr..
Jacobs. even though Emily Post says
that you should never double-cross
anybody without a formal introduc-
ton. Far from being grateful to Mr..
Jacobs for the job of work. Mr.. Thomas
Is burning with resentment. He does
not regard himself as a stooge.
should add at this point. with much
regret, that the members of the
schm cling encourage, preparing their
man for battle over at Summit, N. j.,
are beginning to cast looks of suspi-
cion at Mr.. Joseph Jacobs. This lack
OF faith in their fellow man is yerv sad
TO contemplate, but the Germans are
asking themselves whether Mr.. Jacobs
perish the thought has crossed
them up.
Since arriving in this country Herr
schmeling and his faithful chief of
stan, Max Machon, have heard SIMS
ter things about Thomas They have
been given to understand that the fel-
low is no pop-over. Herr Machon. in
fact, is beginning to wonder aloud
where Mr.. Jacobs checked his brains
the DAY he picked the rough Chicagoan
for a stooge.
A Somewhat Dirty InnL
HIS is very, very iunny busi-
ness" says Herr Machon, and he
looks straight at Mr.. Jacobs when he
says it, and his look, I am sorry to
ay, is on the dirty side.
Naturally, Mr.. Jacobs resents the
slur on his skill as a picker of stooges.
II Schmeling cannot lick fellows
Ike Thomas" he tells Herr Machon.
he has no business in the same ring
with Joe Louis"
There is something in what Mr..
Jacobs says, but the Germans still are
suspicious. Have they been jobbed?
Ihey realize that Mr. Michael Jacobs
Goes not care very much for Herr
Schmeling, because, If Herr Schmeling
whips Louis next year he may take
the title back to Germany and sit on
1t, and that would ruin MichaeTs
principal business asset The Germans
would not put it past Michael to throw
up a random obstacle here and there
across their path to the CHAMPION
ship.
None Of these devious angles is
bothering Mr.. Harry Thomas as he
trains here for the fight. MIR. Thomas's
only concern is to beat Schmeling and
make Mr.. Joseph Jacobs look silly.
This Is golden opportunity for the
earnest youth from Chicago, and he
plans to make the most of it.
Thomas looks pretty good as he
trains. He Is rugged fellow, with
good deal Of power in his body
punching. His hooks, right and left,
to the ribs are a source of great dis
couragement to his sparring partners,
and they may not help Herr Schmel-
tng's digestion either.
Thomas (born Harry Thomas Pom
.tius) has college education and q
certain amount Of experience in minor
league baseball. This equipment will
not do him much good in the prize
ring, but if he can beat Schmeling
next Monday, or even make it close,
he won't regret his wasted culture or
his lost career in baseball. Mr..
Thomas has fighting chance for the
Ii