Evening star., 1942-09-25
Promoters Support
Fighters Between
Bouts, Jacobs Says
Points Out Advance to
Louis and Conn Was
Nothing Unusual
B, the Associated Press.

3. the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Sept. 25.-Mike ia
cobs doesn't know what Secretary of
War Stimson is investigating about
the Joe. Louis Billy Conn fight, but
since there's been such a controversy
over $94, 900 the two boxers owe him,
Jacobs wonders if folks realize that
fighters depend on promoters for
money to keep going between fights.
Mr.. Stimson announced his in
Vestigation In Washington yesterday,
saying he was shocked" over de-
tails of the arrangements for the
October II fight in Yankee Stadium.
One detail" of the fight is that
the War Department originally an
nounced it as 100 per cent for Army
Emergency Relief, although several
days earlier representative of the
War Department had seen Louis at
Fort Riley, Kans.. and discussed with
him payment of certain of his debts
from the bout.
Another detail" is that total of
$135, ,45l SO is to be taken from the
gate to pay debts listed against Louis
and Conn. OF this sum, Jacobs says
$94, ,30550 is owed him-S5e ,8O5 so by
Louis and $34,500 by Conn. The
other SAL ,146.03 is owed by Louis to
John Roxborough, one of his CO.
managers.
Case Not Unusual, Jacobs Says.
While officials handling the bout
said today they did not believe the
night would be called of, Jacobs
pointed out that there is nothing
unusual about fighters owing pro-
moters sizable amounts of money,
especially when the fighters are
the. heavyweight champion and his
No. / challenger.
Fighters have to 60 to someone
Tor money between fights" he ex-
planned. $50 they ask a promoter
for an advance on their next fight.
Why, right now there's about $780,
600 outstanding on my books-all
money advanced to various fighters.
They'll pay it back as soon as they
get a fight.
Before the Nova fight, Louis
owed me $4,000. He paid me of
out OF his purse and took care of
lot Of other debts. That left him
almost broke again, SO by the middle
OF October he started borrowing
again, figuring he'd have q fight
early this year and could straighten
1t out once more.
Paid $4,000 Tax Bill.
But In January he fought Buddy
Baer and turned his entire purse
over to Navy Relief, and in March
he knocked out Abe Simon and gave
his whole end to Army Relief. So
with no income In a year, he's had
to borrow. One of the things I paid
for him was 1000 tax bill.
ITS been almost the same with
Conn. Since his first fight with
Joe. he got married and built a
house In Pittsburgh. He asked me
to lend him money until his next
fight. Y'see, fight promoter is
just like a loan company--only
without charging interest"
Meanwhile, John Kieran, chair
man of the sports writer's committee
of War Boxing, Inc, which is max
Ing arrangements for the fight,
pointed out that since the organi-
cation is working for Maj. Gen. A.
D. Surles (head of the War Depart
ment's Public Relations) we won't
say anything about Secretary Stim-
sons statement-that's up to Gen.
Surles."
It was the committee which sane
toned settlement of the fighters
debts from the gate receipts last
week stormy meeting during which
Mr.. Kieran was named to succeed
Grantland Rice as chairman after
Mr.. Rice indicated his disapproval
OF the arrangements.
O'Toole Wants Grid Probe.
Representative O'Toole, Democrat,
of New York last night urged that
Secretary Stimson Investigate the
distribution of the proceeds of some
OF the football games recently held
In the name of the Army Relief
Society to determine how much
money was paid to owners of profess
sional football teams.
Mr.. O'Toole, who Wednesday told
the House that the War Department
was making a mockery of this
war" declared:
Some ugly rumors have been in
circulation and it would be better
that an official statement be is
sued by the Secretary of War SO
that the public will have confidence
In the Army Relief Society in the
future as it did in the past"