The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1942-08-01
A WINNING PROTEST

a disturbing number of persons continue to belittle
the use OF protest for attacking racial wrongs If for the
moment we leave out of the reckoning the members of
the handkerchief fraternity, who it will always be
with us long thrift follows fawnng there vet are to
be counted many houghtless perhaps wemeaning indi
viduals the defeas types some of whom in high station
privately abhor discrimination and segregation but would
not soil their shirt collars by any attempt to abolish those
evils IN the interest of better America for all to live in
All who still have doubts about the effectiveness of
protest might consider the coored players and or
ganzed baseball For twenty-one years sports writer's
and others have commended for the entrance of coored
players into the big national leagues During the past
few months the agitation became more determined and
better marshaled To the many thousands of petition
asking the lifting of color bars from major league
baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Lands at
first replied with a curt mo comment" AS pressure
grew in volume and intensity the czar of baseball was
at last moved to clarity the whole subject of color dis
elimination in the national sport by an announce
ment which declared that there was rule forbddng
colored baseball players in the major leagues This
matter has been brought to my attention several times
Certain managers organized baseball have been quoted
saying the colored players not playing in
organized baseball is that the commissioner would not
permit them to do have to the conclusion that
it is time for to express myself this important is
sue" Judge Lands said "Coored players not bar
red from organized baseball by the commissioner and
have been during the 21years have served
missioner There is rule in organized baseball pro-
hibtng their participation and has been to my
knowledge If Durocher (of the Dazzling Dodgers) or
any other manager all of them want to sign one,
twenty-five coored players, it is all right with That
the business of the managers and club The
business of the commissioner interpret the rules of
baseball and enforce"
Judge Landiss statement prompted favorable action
in at least important quarter Owner of the Pitts
burgh Pirates William E. Benswanger is quoted as say
ing that colored Americans deserve all the opportunities
given to white willing to try them out for the
Pirates and they will get the trials given to white
players An that this unprecedented offer will
be fulfilled agreement, according to the New York
Daily Worker that three colored baseball players will be
given tryouts at Forbes Field Ptburgh August 4.
1t should be of especial interest to all OF us that the
successful nationwide campaign to get colored players
into the major leagues initiated and conducted by the
sports page of the New York Daily Worker under the ed
torship of sports writer Lester Rodney campaign
which enlisted the enthusiastic support of many thou
sands of baseball followers The result not only pays
high tribute to American sportsmanshp at its best but
convncngy exempfes the worth of welldirected, re-
lentless protest.