The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-01-23
By LACK CUDDY

| New York, Jan. 23 CU.PD -
 While the beWildered baseball world speculated today on possible de- velopments at the Prick Hershey conference, George M Weiss, man. ager of New York Yankee farm op- erations, asserted that neither the major leagues nor upper -classifca- ton minors could carry on if forced to depend entirely upon teen-age players
 A similar opinion of the teen- agers may have been given by Ford Prick, president of the National League, to Major General Lewis B. Hershey, selective service director, during their conference at Wash ington yesterday.
 Frick-Who, since the death of Commissioner LandiS, seems to have become long-needed spokesman for
 baseball--requested the Hershey con- ference, thereby deviating from the sports stupidly passive policy of asking no wartime questions of Washington brass hats. Prick ap- parently wants the manpower mud dle clarified before the major league meetings in New York February 3.
 Despite President Roosevelt'S re- cent, befogged green light, organ- 1zed baseball was confronted today with possibilities of depending en- tirely upon players under 18 or of closing the parks. While this alter native was NOT definite, it was indirectly threatened by the War Departments recent crack-doWn on AZ athletes and medical discharges, and by impending legislation de- signed to shift able-bodied male civ- ilians, between Is and 45, from non- essential jobs into war plants.
 Officials of the American Legion Junior Baseball program cooper ated with the major leagues advis- ory council last week in making the Legion's youthful talent available for professional ball. A previous agreement had prevented this. Be- tween 100000 and 500,O00 youngsters will be available.
 But, according to Weiss not more than a dozen of these Legion young sters could climb into major league uniforms and give the fans even semblance of major league play. You couldn't expect them to: big leaguerS are not made over night
 Weiss, in his statement to the United Press, continued, If we had to depend entirely upon these kids, We wouldn't be able to find enough properly-developed talen to keep the minor circuits going, with the pos Slble except of the three "D' leagues the Appalachian, the Pony and the Ohio State. Moreover, just as soon as these boys reach the age of Is, they will be subject to work cor fight, if the May bill goes through"
 Weiss, one of the best informed and one Of the most practical men in the game, concluded, If baseball IS forced to depend entirely upon teen-age players. the majors and most of the minors will have to close their parks"
 In yesterdays conference with Major General Hershey, Prick prob ably stressed the impossibility of youngsters trying to fill major league gaps; and that if the 4-Fs and dischargees were taken from the game by the recently ordered re-ex- it would mean the end Of wartime baseball. These re-ex- amlnationS menace the players be- cause Of the directive announced saturday, demanding that any army induction station proposing to re- Ject a professional athlete for army service hereafter must submit "all the facts in the case to the War for review. No such re- view has been ordered for any other specific group of prospective induc- tees.