Evening star., 1937-11-24
PUBLIC IS SOURED.
'BYR|NC' 'PAL0OKAS
Embittered Fans Hope Both
Bob, Nathan Lose Title
Ideas Friday.
By JOHN LARDNER.

J | y
day night in one Of those two
4 with-one-stone specials. de-
signed to eliminate either or both of
the athletes in question from further
consideration in the heavyweight
championship race.
This is the Bob Pastor who broke
faith with Joe Louis so cruelty year
ago and shattered Joseph's boylsh
illusions. At that time Joe was strict
'ly ahero-Worshiper. He had sparring
partner, Jersey City Joe Walcott by
name, whom he regarded as the fast
est backwards runner in the world.
The Bomber's eyes popped with ad-
miration and esteem when he watched
Mr.. Walcott run backwards with the
speed of an antelope.
mo one can touch Jersey City for
runnin' backwards" said Joe. Bill
Robinson is a very fast backwards
runner, but Jersey City Joe Walcott
is the mos tastes backwards runner
In the world. Just look at him"
That was the state of the Louis mind
: when he crawled through the ropes
tor and, as he expected, to make jelly
o. Mr.. Pastors ribs. To Joe's chagrin
and confusion, Mr.. Pastor proceeded
to run backwards faster than anyone
ever had run backwards before. He
made Jersey City Joe Walcott look
bum. The trouble was, he made Joe
Louis look bum also
1t Was Surprise to Joe.
"PASTOR in the mos tastes back
wards runner in the world all
right" admitted the rueful Bomber
later, but I didn't think the ring
was the place for that kind of stuff.
1t was certainly surprise to me-
j. 1t was surprise and a diSillusion-
ment to almost everybody else as we'll
The only individual who was not sur
prised was James J. Johnston, the
boy desperate, who devised the
scheme of having Pastor run back
wards and making Louis look a bum
Mr.. Johnston is Pastors manager, in
everything but name. The manager
Of record is Mr., Jimmy Johnston, jr
According to the latest census, there
are II Johnstons connected directly
or indirectly with the control of Pas
tor Preferred
Mr.. James J. Johnston, sr., is the
quarterback of this team Mr. Pastor
Is the running back Mr. Johnston
calls the plays and opens the holes.
and Mr.. Pastor carries the ball Some
times, as against Louis, he runs the
wrong way-but always under advise
ment and always taking care not to
be trapped in his own end zone.
When Mr.. Pastor fights, you can
hear the brain of Mr.. Johnston purr.
ing like some vast dynamo at the
ringside. This role of Mr. Johnston's
IS something like the one Mr. Mercer
Beasley, the best abstract thinker in
tennis, plays on the sidelines for the
benefit of frankie Parker. Mr.. john
ston and Mr.. Beasley are the only
paid-up members of the Svengali
Guild, Local 1O2.
When he matched his boy with
Louis last year MIR. Johnston admits
that he made a slight mistake-not in
strategy but in tactics
MCCLELLAN OF Ring.
WAS like Gen George Mcclellan,
the little Napoleon of the West"
recalls Mr.. Johnston mcclellan was
great strateglst, but slow on the
field. My strategy was good, and my
tactics were good as far as they went,
but I should have called a different
signal in the last part of the fight"
Mr.. Johnston's strategy, Of course,
was the strategy of Washington and
Lee-retreat and maneuver. It
worked fine, and the enemy, Mr..
Louis, was terribly confused after seven
rounds of reverse Shenandoah am
palgnlng. About that time Mr. PAS
tor, the running back, began to plead
for change in tactics. Like Jack
son, he thought the time had come
Tor a quick offensive, rapid thrust.
Let me go in there and bang his
ears off," he begged Mr.. Johnston. II
can do it..
Whether Mr.. Johnston was shocked
at the sight of Johnston fighter
trying to do his own brainwork, or
whether he thought the idea was too
dangerous, he voted his agent down.
Keep running" he advised Mr.
Pastor. I'll do the thinking"
Was Wrong, Johnston Admits.
SO MIR. PASTOR continued to run
with unabated vigor, and Mr..
Louis, chugging along in pursuit,
looked miserable. Mr.. Johnston says
now that he should have let Mr.. Pas
tor have his way.
Il was wrong" says James hand
somely. Il realized afterward that
Pastor could have killed Louis. I
didn't know how bad Louis was. Be-
lieve me, it won't happen again. The
next time our boy fights this alleged
champion we will bang his ears off.
But I still will do the thinking and
Pastor the fighting. 1t doen't pay to
encourage mutiny in your stable"
To get another shot at Louis, Mr..
Pastor will have to work his way up
through the ranks That is the OBJ
tect Of his bout this week with Mann,
Connecticut operative with a good
record and fair punch. The win
ner will be right up there among the
leading contenders-unless, as certain
embittered citizens hope, the boys
eliminate each other and execute the
coup known in promoting circles as
two buns with lone stone.
Copyright, 1887. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance Inc,)