Evening star., 1944-12-24
Racing Banned;
Athletes Face
Draft Recheck
Drastic Monpower
Move Cracks Down
On Sports Activities
COMMENT ny LEADERS ef racing.
baseball and football. sports Pages.
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

ny aANABs II NEWIpN,
The White House yesterday
cracked down on American Hports
activity by asking all race tracks
10 close by January J and In
stfueting snlcetive service 10 re-
view the draft qualifications os
professional athletes.
In n third phase of atie III ths
most drastic mahpewef nloyes Of the
war, the Government decided to
deny materials. fiisi and trsiispertas
lion 10 'lesssassentlai" employers
who fall th comply with dlfeetives
Regarding hiring hsnt6is sna en4
i'laymsht ceilings This would
force teealelirant plants ~ shut
iswn
Waf Mobilization Director tstfnes
disclosed The three actions.
The tste track ban, appllesbla In
'all animal racing" end the inssrs
tlan NJ Teeth" In Industrial man
power regulations nre Intended ~
combat ~hf worker sbssniaeisn,.
conserve Vita fuel and tfpnspdftas
lion and Ia aid IN recruiting labor
Il, meet the enlarged arms pfos
gram
Although Mf Byfnpa, with ap-
prevail Of The President" /" asked rae.
lnH management tn elaAe their
plants Voluntarily, he warned that
failure 10 comply with the order
would feault IN the dental Of man
power and transportation 10 The
induatts, The ultlmat,un covered
all forms ef The sport Horse racing,
srettins and dog racing Tracks ate
TO refrain from sesumlns racing
~, until war conditions permit"
Tracks rrem.se ce.apera,.en,
/ The statement brought immediate
/ promises az corporation frem all
maier track operators and leaders
Of the sport, indicating there pres~
ably viii be No nseve sseaax AFTER
January Z until The European war
is won.
The racing industry took sAs aaew
standing ssp," sltsaosssa there were
comments frogn many that the eeo-
nonae effect VIII be rusacsas, nsrsscu-
larry TO small operators,
IN the request to have ersss
boards check on why professions,
athletes are not in service, Mr..
Byrnes said it was oificult for him
and for the public to understand
how men can be physically unfit for
military service and yet be able TO
compete in games demanding physi-
cal fitness"
Mr.. Byrnes' action was reminis-
cent of the 1918 work or fight" or
der of Secretary of War Baker
which closed professional baseball
for the final month of the season.
If the World War had not ended a
few months later, there undoubt-
Iedly would have been no baseball
the following year.
Hershey Sends Out Order,
Whether Mr. Byrnes' action will
go so far as to shut down profess
sional sports, already hit by man.
power shortage, was not clear last
night. To some it appeared largely
psychological" and another step to
combat home-front complacency.
In view of the manpower short
age. the mobilization director told
Selective Service Director Hershey,
he thought serious consideration
should be given to recalling these
men into the armed services or
where they have not heretofore been
inducted, calling them for another
physical examination.
Gen. Hershey Immediately advised
Mr.. Byrnes that he was directing
local boards to review the classi-
fications of men known to be in
professional athletics. The draft
head noted in his letter that Gen.
Marshall recently directed that no
nationally prominent athletes, stage,
screen and radio figures be dis
charged from the Army without re-
ferral to the War Department.
Prior to this order, any commands
ing officer was free to release such
men.
Adds Teeth" to Regulations.
Following threats of similar ac-
ton in recent months, Mr.. Byrnes
reported he finally had asked the
War Production Board to withdraw
priority ratings and ALLEGATION rights
for materials from those less
essential establishments and services
which are unwilling to comply with
the employment ceilings established
by the War Manpower Commission
(See RACES, Page Aid