Evening star., 1942-01-18
More Night Play
By Big Leagues
Now Assured
Expansion Of College
Program Gets Stort
At Georgia Tech
By FRANCIS E. STAN.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt took
the constitution-the National Base
ball League constitution-apart yes
terday as the Nations sports leaders
and promoters, suddenly needed to
attention by the President. took
steps to increase, not decrease, ath-
letic training and entertainment
The Chief Executives fortnight
suggestion to Commissioner of Base
ball Kenesaw Mountain Lands that
Americas national pastime not only
proceed under business as usual
policy. but to step-up night ball for
the benefit of wartime day workers
was the spark which set afire fresh
ambitions, hopes and efforts of ath-
letic dictators in all fields.
Ford Frick, president of the Ma
| tional League, announced yester-
| day from New York that. following
meeting to discuss the outlook of
baseball, the circuits constitution
would be changed to permit teams
to play more than the seven noe
turnal games to which all major
league clubs heretofore have been
limited.
20 Night Games Likely Here.
Just how far the majors will 60
in increasing the number of night
games won't be determined until
American League leaders meet with
the senior leagues bosses in New
York the first week in February. but
indications now are that Washing
tons Nationals will play upward Of
20 under the lights.
The Presidents letter to Judge
Landis," said President Clark Grif-
fifth Of the Mats, virtually is an
order. Baseball helps to builds
morale. and here in Washington
you can't expect to build the morale
of 100000 Government workers
tGrifiths figures by playing ball
afternoons while more than half Of
them are working"
Griffith, one-time foe of anything
except baseball in daylight. but in
recent years a vigorous campaigner
for night game4 to accommodate
factory. Government and other de-
fenSe workers, hopes to divide the
1912 major league season.
Lands Frowned on Plan.
"All along" he said last night,
I'D hoped we could play daylight
baseball from the middle of April to,
say, June Is From then on, with
the exception of Saturdays and
Sundays, thought we'd play at
night until sometime in September,
when the weather usually begins to
get inconsistent"
Griffith introduced this plan at
the annual winter meeting OF the
ma jor leagues in Chicago on Decem-
ber "a day after the news of Pearl
Harbor broke-but the National
League voted him down. and Judge
Lands, breaking tie between the
two loops, also frowned on the Grif-
fifth proposal
Although a longtime friend OF
Lands, Griffith was disappointed,
but in light of President Roosevelt's
recommendation that more night
games be played he said last night
that he was confident he would win
his point.
"' And, incidentally" wrote
Mr.. Roosevelt to Lands, Il hope,
that night games can be extended
because it gives an opportunity. to
the day shift to see q game oc-
casionally."
Georgia Tech Broadens Policy.
Mr.. Grifath displayed admirable
restraint upon receiving the news
that fha Nofional an o11A v,i1l f,fnk
portion OF its constitution to full
fill President Roosevelt's wish. Its
hard to sell those old fogies anything
new" said the 72-year-old PRECEDENT
of the Washington Ball Club.
Meanwhile, other expressions OF
n A 4 "a n