Evening star., 1942-09-09
Million Dollars
Expected for
War Funds
Both Fighters, Jacobs
Pass Up Profits in
October Contest
BY SID FEEDER,
Associated Press Sports Writer.


NEW YORK. Sept. 9-Simply for
the pleasure of giving the wives |
and kiddies of our doughboys
million dollars, a couple of Uncle
Sans soldiers are going to climb
into Yankee Stadium's ring on
Columbus Day to fight the hottest
fistic natural" in six years
1t is almost as sure as a bomb
sight aim that the heavyweight
championship return fight on Oc-
tober II between Corpl Joe Louis,
boss man of the beak busters, and
Pvt. Billy Conn, who almost took
the title year ago, will hit the
million-dollar mark jackpot for the
first time since the Bomber's second
bout with Max Schmeling in '39.
The memory of the fireworks they
set off in their first brawl is enough
to bring the customers storming
back again. And, if more help was
needed, the fact that this one is
entirely for Army emergency relief
more than will make up the differ
ence. What's more, Promoter Mike
Jacobs is shooting at crowd of
1900 and a gate of 81 200 ,O0O-with
tickets scaled from 50 to S40-and
he figures lot of folks who will
be here for the World Series the
first week in October will stick
around and help jingle the cash
registers.
Will Make No Profit.
Yet not one nickel of it, except
for minor expenses, will go to either
fighter or Promoter Jacobs. The
son of the Alabama cotton picker,
the tough Irish kid out of Pittsburgh
and the fight promoter who grew up
on New York's bloomless sidewalks
and now likes to raise gardenias
will dump the whole pot into the
bank account for the families of
our soldiers. 1t will be easily the
biggest score the Army fund has
made in any single event to date.
The Army, at long last gave it's
official blessing to the get-together
yesterday after keeping all hands in
| q lather of doubt about it for a
oozen weeks or so. AS matter of
fact, if the War Department had
held up the sanction as much as
week more it would have been too
late to put on this super -duper
outdoors around here this fall.
In this tussle the Bomber and the
Pittsburgh pretty boy. are going to
do pretty fair country job of re-
writing the record books on the
subject. The simple face that Joe
and Billy are putting this one on
for the house-doing the almost
unheard-of stunt of fighting for the
world heavyweight championship
for nothing-is about enough to
have them read out of the union.
Bout Makes History.
Then, too it marks the first time
in legalized nose-smashing that
two soldier boys have fought for
the richest prize package in the
business. On top of that, it will be
the first daylight fight for the big
bauble since Jack Dempsey and
Tom Gibbons broiled under the sun
at Shelby, Mont, 10 years back
Because of dim-out regulations
here, Promoter Mike plans to move
it up to 3 pm.
Conn, Stationed at nearby Fort
Wadsworth, and Louis, who is
with the cavalry at Fort Riley
Kans., both were as steamed up az
a couple of kids with bag Of
candy over the prospects of put
ting on a rerun of their thriller
A year ago Conn amazed even hi!
closest pals by taking long leac
for II rounds, only to get hs "IriSl
up" try to trade Sunday shots witt
Joe in the 18th, and run smack intc
the Bomber's knockout drops.
Billy scaling 1875 now, will do hi!
training at a specially constructed
camp at Jacobs Rumson IN. j.
estate. Louis said that he is "12 o
Is pounds overweight, which Woult
put him in the neighborhood of ;
hefty 220. He will round into fight
ing shape at his longtime base a
Greenwood Lake, N. Y.
The War Department announce
ment outlined the setup unde
which the big battle will be de
veloped Back of Jacobs as pro
moter will be a committee of New
York sports writer's as advisers.