Evening star., 1939-03-10
Likely Will Purchase
Montreal Outfit in
Hockey League
Switches Building Site
From Silver Spring;
Jacobs Is Ally
By BURTON HAWKINS.

Washington's great sports need, a
spacious indoor arena, plus
National Hockey League team,
boxing connection with Mike Jacobs,
virtual czar of flstiana. and a tie
up with New York's Madison Square
Garden in all sports promotion, will
be announced shortly by Garfield
Kass. owner of the Chevy Chase
Ice Palace, 1t was learned today.
Kass, who originally was consid-
ering a Silver Spring site for the
16-story structure which will cost
considerably more than a half
million dollars" has refused to
divulge the location of the arena,
but it is known he has switched
to a more central location.
Also abandoned were plans to OBJ
tain a franchise in the Interna-
tional-American Hockey League,
and more pretentious arrangements
have been made to purchase
major league outfit, probably the
Montreal Maroons. KaSs will jour-
ney to New York next week to
close the deal and then will launch
a series of player purchases de-
signed to give Washington an ice
hockey team of title caliber.
Will Seat 10000.
The arena, which will seat 10000
for ice hockey, $500 for boxing
and 10000 for basket ball, already
has IL of its 16 floors accounted
for by potential lessees. In addi-
ton to ice hockey, boxing and basket
bail, it also will house wrestling
matches. ice carnivals and six-day
bicycle races.
The hook-up with Jacobs, who
will feed" boxers of national promi-
nence into Washington. virtually
means the death-knell of the Joe
Turner-Goldie Ahearn combination
which has been functioning. sepa-
rately and together, since the legali-
zation Of boxing here in 1884. Tur-
ner's Arena seats only 1900 for box
ing and wrestling.
Basket ball fans are assured some
Of the finest collegiate teams in the
Nation appearing here against
Georgetown and George Washing
ton, with such outfits as Stanford
Purdue, Oregon and Southern Cali
fornia slated to be imported either
before or after appearances in Madi-
son Square Garden.
Kass recently made a special trip
to Florida to discuss boxing arrange
ments with Jacobs and established
cordial relations with the man who
now is referred to as Mr. Boxing
Jacobs has virtually every fighter
of national repute under his thumb
and his connection with the local
enterprise means Washington will
view a steady succession of name
fighters.
Works Year on Plans.
+ Working on arena plans for more
than year, Kass has every detail
set. Following his trip to New York
he doubtless will make official an
nouncement of the project and
ground-breaking for the spacious
plant will begin within 80 days after
announcement.
The Chevy Chase Ice Palace,
which has been employed as the site
Of several amateur ice hockey games
will be used only for public skating
and. of course, bowling and table
tennis The new structure will not
include bowling alleys.
The Montreal Maroons, competing
against the famous Les Canadiens,
have been on the block for two years.
kass will not stop merely with the
purchase of the major league fran
chise, however, since he is convinced
Washington will support only a
crack team. and is prepared to spend
considerable money for players.
Washington thus will have a root
ing interest in an outstanding team
and will view such teams in league
action as the New York Rangers
Boston Bruins. the Chicago Black
Hawks, the Canadiens, Detroit Red
Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Meanwhile the Riverside Stadium
is considering obtaining an ice
hockey franchise in either the East
ern Amateur League or the Inter-
national-American League.