Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1942-01-24
S P o R T
SLAM 7 S
Famous Washington, D. c., Sports Editor
Shirley Povich, Object OF Verbal Siege
For Alleged BeIittlement OF Joe Louis
By Melancholy" Jones

GEORGE W. DAVIS, former Albanian now residing in
washington D. Co. who used to be of the better known
1lgures in the Gate City contract bridge circles writes let
ter to the column in which he encloses very readable
clipping from the Washington POST January r. 1912
The clipping bears the sports column, orIIIS MORN.
ING by Shirley POvich POST sports editor the OBJ
Jec of vtrOc verbal barrage from an rate reader re
senting Mr. Povichs alleged beIttement of World Heavy
weight Champion Joe Louis
Last time out guest column on Joe Louis was carried
here 1t the authorship of Wte Anna Biggins sec
rotary of the Howard University Summer Session. Washing
ton and now resident of New York City, Miss higgins is
erswhle secretary to General Manager c. Scott of
the Atlanta DAILY WORLD. The column was masterful
editorial on Joe Louis and Democracy.
Today present the clipped sports column Shirley
Povch as submitted by pasywasy George Spencer Davis
the old card analyst deluxe IT is believed be an engag
ing piece of subscriber bait. Here goes:
DEMPSEY VS.. LOUIS BY MAIL
am liar So says Mr. Hickey Mcintosh of 400 Oak
dale Place Northwest with ungente stroke of his pen which
drps anger suggestion that Jack Dempsey would
have beaten they had been prize ring contemp
oraries. And somewhere in this paragraph seem to
have tied the nonstop record for subjunctves
Anyway, correspondent warns up the short and
ugly word by addressing "Dear Mr.. Povch [ am
afraid your vision fight between Joe Louis and Jack
Dempsey in your column of January II, blocked with
white supremacy that it is sickening"
We had an idea we'd about that January II piece.
In fact it with trepdaon that opened the
morning MAIL and we weren't disappointed By mail we
accused of ID being DOPE (2) no-accoun (3)
lousy fright expert and a. and g. prejudice However,
Mr. Mcintosh Incorporates most of the charges his lone
reply, and We pass it on:
You said that Dempsey proved the point of being tie
best fighter by climbing back into the ring after Firpo
knocked him out You omitted the fact that Dempsey
helped back into the ring by newspapemen You forget
that Louis went back into the ring under his steam
when Buddy Baer knocked him the in Washing
ton.
DEMPSEY'S DODGING. OF WILLS CITED
""The reason I can't class Jack Dempsey with Joe
he that IoJo
Didn't Jack Dempsey dodge Harry Wills dthe draft?
plainly the deps OF reasoning power and that
summary yours January IL is good example of it.
have noticed several of your pieces trying to lessen the
greatness of Joe Louis. ed Note-objection noted)
81 truthfuly say that Harry Wills grew to be
old trying to entice Dempsey into the ring with him.
says two Dempsey refused to fight coored aft
Stafleyto New York ED Note-Iester johnson wos
oDempsey ribs before losing 10roundF decsiensf to
Dempsey in 1850 p
But l am happy to know that your saying crouch
would BATTLE Louis has proved youare liar hints gH
aEsTlers runners and fass 81 sa '1stE and White
s ia e sSef} not fsolsh trv to.s,n
others minds with your cheapS ypng and future
why don't admit with all the facts before YOU
that Joe Louis is of hitting
cleanliness fighting ol of the ring
the world asseper jcolor and #
doubt lSs this
and the. afact sties being
what tsa eses o4l tough tocompound
we thany wed Iaccept
the raat money Tl7as MrS Mgatosh for dropping an
sa5Sfsa Tsis} j, sdaass ~
! theli S RaE; BEEN e.
that Dempsey ducked Harry Wills the draft drew the
color line We weren't intending to underrate Joe
Louis to detract from his rghful niche among cham
pons. What we were saying was, that if Dempsey and
Louis tossed into the ring Dempsey would
out the winner And if remember rightly, it wasn't
positive statement 1t qualified by that handy word
probably
1t wasn't any attempt to elevate Dempsey above Louis
in any other respect fighter Buny don't give
damn who could beat whom For certain their contrast
ing military records leaves Dempsey somewhat stigmazed
There be complaint with Louis behavior out
of the ring and to recall that visionary account
Dempsey fight provided for the possibility that
would be guilty of foul fighting That may be construed
Dempsey would foul Louis with suggestion tta Louis
prejudice perhaps but certainly not against Louis.
However without regard for the patriotism, character
other than fighting attributes of Dempsey and Louis
attempting to boil the question down to hypothet