Evening star., 1944-12-24
Elaborate Plans
of Promoters
For 1945 Hit
Bulk Of Redskin Squoe
Back From Service,
Club Prexy Stotes

War finally is cracking down on
the Nations professional sport ac-
tivities. A terrific bombardment
OF directives fired late yesterday by
War Mobilization Director James F..
Byrnes left leaders of the paid sports
clans stunned and blasted what
hopes they may have had of carry
ing on their businesses as usual
next year.
One Of the Nations biggest sports
took knockout punch in the first
directive. 1t sunmarily closed all
the Nations race tracks January 8,
a week from Wednesday.
The second blow fell upon pro-
fessional athletes, affecting directly
the future of professional baseball,
football, hockey, boxing and basket
ball and threatening to upset elabo-
rate plans already made for re-
sumption of play by the American
and National baseball circuits and
the National Football League for
next year.
Baseball Men Not Talkative.
Baseball's big leagues were dis
posed to keep quiet about the di-
rective affecting them. Both Presi-
dent Will Harridge of the Ameri-
can League and President Ford Frick
Of the National League confined
their remarks to mo comment"
when first questioned by the Asso-
ciated Press, but Harridge elabo-
rated slightly on his original state
ment by pointing out the beginning
Of the baseball training season was
so far off that the situation might
be entirely different by the time
that period arrives.
Clark Griffith, president of the
Washington club, said only that
Baseball will continue to 60 along
with the Government as it has
from the start of the war" As
now constituted, the Mats include
a number of players classified 4-F
but under the directive their cases
must be reviewed.
Gridders Eager to Serve.
George Marshall, president of the
Redskins, said he doubted If the
order seriously would affect the
Tribe or National Football League,
because they operated only on nom
working days and played so few
| days. Secondly, the bulk of the
Redskin squad is composed of men
who already have been in service
and discharged and those rejected
were not only willing but anxious
to go.
Marshall said the league was 10C
per cent behind any order that
would speed a United Nations vic
tory and that winning the war took
precedence over any other activity
on the home front.
The Tribes boss doubted whether
re-examination of athletes rejected
for military service would produce
results any different from those OBJ
tanned previously. He pointed out
that professionals probably had been
SAeAAAAAASA SAocCI ally otIiSl
class of entertainers.
Byrnes is Puzzled.
In instructing selective service
to review the qualifications for mill
tary service of men engaged in pro-
fessional athletics, Mr.. Byrnes wrote
in a letter to Maj. Gen. Lewis B.
Hershey. selective service director,
that it was difficult for him (Byrnes)
and the public to understand how
men can be unfit physically for
military service and yet be able
to compete with the greatest ath-
letes of the Nation in games de-
manding physical fitness"
According to the Associated
Press, Mr.. Byrnes added he thought
that in view of the manpower
shortage he thought. serious con-
sideration should be given to "re-
calling these men into the armed
services, or where they have not
heretofore been inducted, calling
them for another physical exami-
nation"
Gen. Hershey In reply advised
Mr.. Byrnes that he was directing
local draft boards to review the
classifications of men engaged In
professional athletics