The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-02-21
Full OF Laughs, Too; Gen
erals Honesty Goes I'm
questioned, Even By
Enemies J}f
BY SID FEEDER
AP Feature Service Sports Wri

new 4OTK state ALnleLlC OOIH-
mission meets in august session
on Tuesdays and Fridays, except
on legal holidays and st. Patrick's
day, to diagnose the ills of boxing
and wrestling.
The commissions chairman,
Major General John ]. Phelan,
New York National Guard, re-
tired, keeps date every st. Pat
rick's day. The business of being
a policeman to boxing and Wrest
ling to the contrary, notwith
standing, he marches each year
in the parade up Fifth avenue by
which New York's sons of Erin
pay tribute to the man who chas-
ed the snakes out of Ireland.
Sometimes he's in full uniform
on a white horse, sometimes he's
on foot. But he's in the parade
every year.
Probably only Mike Jacobs,
the promoter, can equal General
Phelan's power in the boxing
world today. Even General Phe-
lan's enemies-and there are
more than one of them in the fis-
tic fraternity-uphold his homes
ty as an official in the most
rnaligned sport of them all.
On the other hand, however,
the portly, white-haired former
ladies' underwear manufacturer
has been known to attack boxing
problems with offensives that
have not always been based on
the shortest distance between two
points. 1t was he and some of
his colleagues who put their heads
together and came up with the
weighty decision which chased
the Jack Dempeey-Gene Tunney
super-colossal out of New York
to Philadelphia.
Longtime Member
He has been a member of the
athletic commission, either as a
commissioner or on the license
committee, almost since the
Walker law set up the body of
fistic fathers in this state two
decades ago. He has been the
commissions chairman since Jim
Farley left in 1882 to help Frank
lin d. Roosevelt.
In all that time, he has been
a storm cneter, target for the
Tom, Dick and Harrys--even the
guys named Joe--in the sport. In
all those years, though, not one
governor ever made move to
Gust him.
And now, as he approaches 10,
state employees usual retirement
age. he says he still is ready for
q lot they'll never get rid
CT me till they put me OUT.
That particular statement is
considerably simpler and clearer
than the generals usual explana-
tons to sports writers Many of
the writing gentlemen insist that
the generals method of speech is
q form of doubletalk. He is just
as insistent that il is not.
Gen. Phelan also insists he
never was brassiere manufac-
turer, despite what some writers
say His business, he says, was
making ladies' undergarments.
He cot out If ii Whye
Because women don't wear
undergarments any more.
Closed Meetings
A few years ago, the general
disappointed the semi-weekly
visitors to the State Building
downtown by ordering the com
missions meetings closed on the
rround thrt he was being mis-
quoted" Up To that time. sitting
in on those proceedings had pro-
vided baking writers with their
birreSt laughs Since then, of
ficial business has been carried
on behind closed doors. The gen
eral later issues n statement on
WI has happened.
Managers and promoters who
appcar before the commission
sometimes let their tempers Get
the better Of them i'm discussing
matters with General Phelan but
the baNers themselves rarely be-
eo~se excited.
For instarce, Ken Overlin. the
middleweight champion, has been
rcprnpanded once or twice. and
renlieds
''0kay. general I'm sailor
bow, you know I'm in the service.
too"
Little Petev Scalzo. the Nation.
oil Boxing Associations feather
weight champion. is master Of
double talk-with new wrinkle
He does il with a Greek accent
He appeared before the commits
SIGN or one occasion, when the
general was in good form. and
preceded TO make a statement in
this Greek double talk. He and
the general had quite a converse
ton.