The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-02-03
Greg. U. s. Pat. OR.)
BY JACK CUDDY

UNITED Press STAFF Correspondent
New York, Feb. 3.-(UP)-This Is
our chance to reward our readers
with q high-powered column which
would answer the $64 question:
What's to become Of baseball after
the work-or Wright edict goes into
effect on April j?
Well tell you this. The major
leagues will have their training sea.
son in the north. Then the regular
championship season will open.
Whether this season will be com.
pleted for all clubs we do not know,
but we'll bet that It goes to the
halfway mark on July 4.
You might expect us to move into
Washington with brief for the
game Of baseball. And we'd love to
do 1t. Because we know that this
sport, above all others, merits ofilcial
consideration. But II we did It
would be q mistake In judgment. It
would be an attempt to put Man
power Commissioner Paul v. Nc.
Mutt and his assistants directly on
the spot. Which would be stupid
maneuvering..
Our Interpretation Of the work-or.
fight edict, despite which the major
leagues seem determined to carry
on, is that fortunately the game Of
major league baseball hasn't been
classified yet In the -deferrable
bracket. We stress the sanity Of
this Interpretation. And we hope
that no definite classification Of
baseball players will be made until
the season Is at least half over.
We know we will be criticized
roundly for this attitude. Thousands
Of baseball fans throughout the ma
ton hope that someone will take
the case Of baseball to Washington
and present 1t In Its proper light as
an aid to the national morale.
Helps Itself "
But we wouldn't do 1t. And we
hope that no one else attempts It,
Because we know that baseball
down through the years-has made
its own plea. The game has pro-
vided America with the cleanest
pasttime in sports history. More
over, in its current form, 1t COM
mands more newspaper and radio
space during its season than any
other American industry.
We recall that last year President
Roosevelt gave the green light to
baseball. He turned on the emerald
bulb, we figure, because he believed
that major league baseball had a
certain value in morale to our war
burdened nation.
At that time, President Roose-
welt gave no indication that he was
giving the green light only for the
1912 season. That may have beer
the Presidents intention, but We
doubt it. If it were, Mr.. Roosevelt
who enjoys an enviable command
of language, would have set quite
definite boundaries on the length Of
time the green light should glow.
President Roosevelt, or anyone
else concerned. never looked upor
major league baseball as an essen.
tial industry. Everyone knows til
not. But unquestionably the game
| UOtoVcIo btlC uaJAO141A AAo4HACp AtO
only in the United States, but also
on the far-fiung fronts where ouI
lads love TO get the scores.
Morale
In other words. the big question
of the continuance OF major base.
ball Is entirely @ matter Of morale
It's q matter Of balance between
the ruling that SEA men must woTl
or fight, and whether this ruling
actually applies to major league
players who are contributing TO tn
public morale.
Moreover. this question OF morale
and the men who contribute TO u \
q matter OF degree--of intensity
When will the llile point be reached
when It's more necessary for bal
defense factories than 10 contribute
players 10 shoulder guns o. help q
TO the public morale on the dia'
mondf
Mehutt and bis men are IN "a
better position 70 Determine thal
point than anyone contested win
the sport 10, sell leave II 10 then
without trying ha0peTsdooper sales
manship, which wollld iiFltAie every
enc eonneeted With The game any
way.