Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1942-01-31
S p 9 r 7
SLAM 7 S
Joe Louis "Most Admirable of American
Athletes Encountered During His Entire
Writing Career, Westbrook Pegler Says
BY melancholy" Jones

a FEW WEEKS AGO, Grantland Rice, regarded the
dean OF the American sports writers, forth with
memorable column in which he dealt with the virtues of all
Is world heavyweight champons--from John T. Sullivan
to Joe L0uiSand, the end concluded that the Brown
Bomber is the prize OF the lot.
Louis attitude toward the title itself was more serious
said Rice than all the Others Joe sincere the noted
coumnist pointed out that the space of long
years his fighting weight did not fluctuate than
pounds Looking back into history Grantland Rice dscos
ed that in the of Joes predecessors they
~ less effective the longer they held the title Sometime as
in the of Jim Jeffres Willard and few others
the champions weight fuctuated many 20 or pounds
in only year two
True Louis regular fighting defending his crown four
or more times in single year-had lot to do with that
phenomenon Rice admitted but there again he brought
out you had to give to Joe for giving every worthy cha
lenger Tin fact those who thought they worthy
and later found out otherwse) shot his priced dadem
Most of the champions before liked the easy life
of comforts and luxury. It the exception when any
of the Ia previous titleoders ed their than
once in the year.
No other champion but Louis, Rice said, would have
rsked 100000 asset in riskng his title to Buddy Baer
recently for the Navy Relief Fund.
Reflecvely Pegler calls attention the myriad cham
pons and outstanding III all fields of competition he
countered reporter of both professional and
sports for many years.
"There many fine clean characters among them
of whom dsparagement meant in observing that Joe
Louis, the prize fighter, distinct degree the most
admirable, wrote the famous white coumnst
lines of his first paragraph Continuing PegerS
ment goes: n
His virtue citizen and sportsman is aceentusjed
because is Negro and has from poverty and
it would be dishonest TO that the merits of conspc
ousy good colored 0veremphaszed TO the
tent that in general the faults of disrepuabe
overenphasized But Louis white Shaw might
say pink he would nevertheless the recogn
ton champion of other Americans particularly OF
those who know him best.'
Pegler told early pieces about Louis personal
habits tended to build him up drowsy, indifferent,
heaveatng noted for economy of words In
swer to this the columnist wrote:
True, there had been dumb fighters with in
md ed
the table of smoky dressing during the
semfna and stupid that speech mental exercise
But the quality of the which Louis did in
few words presently proved that he uncommony wise
for they always covered the ground frankly and briefly
hedged the question He used words TO thought but
not to make idle conversation and he expressed his thoughts
efficiently and stopped.
No other sportsman" the westbrook Pegler piece
nues professional side has matched the unqua
flied generosity of Louis rsklng his championship bust
of great value his recent fight with Buddy
donating, entire his share of the to the
Nays relief fund"
Other men have given their lives Peger admitted but
made the point here that Louis too is soldlerand
the could happen to him and when his country sees
send him up 'front.' Pegler admitted however that
he thinks it would better Louis resrctvey as
morale builder because his opinion death of Louis III
warfare would be definite blow morale STILL Peger
cedes this is question for the Army to decide Not even
Louis will make that decision, it is pointed out
closing his maserfu treatise on the Brown Bomber
Westbrook Pegler makes the following thought:
Louis is and fights Negro but some
Negroes who aren't fit to his bucket obstreperous
attempt capitalize his victories and fneness as Deng
somehow in part their This however not peculiar
to Negroes All breeds sueny resent identification with Inc
wrongs of any brother but nosly emphasize as as'hcs
racial the virtues and victories of their best
In view of the fact that Peger, an acknowledged cyMc
said to center most his writings against somebody or some
institution thereby gaining rank Americas bltteres col
;s+ 1evoes his fnl column to Joe Louis and writes IN
It nothing but praise may gather something OF the quail
ty of prestige Louis has for himself and Tor
other Negroes with his fine conduct as champion ana e
omnlarv demeanor outside the squared arena