Evening star., 1945-01-22
Want More Than Mild
I'D. R. Endorsement
To Make Plans

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/ put on their thinking caps for way
to proceed with 1945 programs with
out Haunting the intent of the War
Department and War Manpower
Commission to funnel as many men
as possible into essential industry.
Patiently, they wanted the Gov
ernment's blessing more
substantial than President Roose-
velt's recent mild endorsement of
baseball. But is was equally obvious
that they shrink from doing any,
thing that might impede the war
effort and bring a stigma on
athletics.
Caught between the hammer and
the forge, sports as whole had
its chin up, hopeful of getting a
turning break early enough to
lgo ahead. Few club owners, man.
ayers or coaches appeared out
wardly alarmed by the Govern
ment's swift change in attitude
toward sports, particularly in re-
gard to 4-F athletes. The majority
optimistically said they believed
sports could continue, although side
line observers openly wondered
where they would get the necessary
|manpower.
Baseball Is Hardest Hit.
The work k-or-fght order unques-
tionably will hit baseball hardest.
Playing daily, travelling extensively,
baseball players will have difficulty
trying to fit war-plant jobs into
their schedules. Many big leaguers,
including a number Of key men
counted on as the nucleus of their
respective clubs this vseason, who
presently are employed in factories,
intend to remain there and pass up
the game.
Baseball, in the final analysis, will
be reduced to callous rockies who in
normal times might find it hard to
make the minor league grade, 4-Fs
so badly crippled the military
couldn't possibly take them, even
for limited service, and over-age
veterans. A work-or-f1ght law COW
ering men up to As years of age,
expected to be reported out by the
House Military Affairs Committee,
probably would sweep most of the
veterans into war work. In that
event the clubs might have to forego
their services on road trips, en-
ploying them on a part-time basis
for the home series.
Pro football, with one game a
week, one-day road trips and
plentiful supply of war-working
veterans, seemed to be most favor
ably situated, although college
coaches optimistically believed their
1945 squads would be as good as
last years.
Hockey Takes Beating.
A Big Ten Conference spokes-
man said its teams would continue
if there were a sufficient number of
men too young or ineligible for
service duty to man them. He
voiced the hope that SPORTS would
continue, but emphasized that moth
ing would be allowed to impede the
war effort.
While baseball and football lead
ers had a triple-header hangover
from recent manpower edicts, 1t
was nothing compared to the Ma
tional Hockey Leagues troubles.
Canadian selective service officials
recently informed the league that
no further exit permits would be
issued discharged Canadian service
men unless they had served over
seas. A majority of players in the
league are Canadians and play in
the United States on exit permits,
hence the ruling would sever the
sports jugular vein.
All sports, meanwhile, marked
time awaiting introduction of the
new manpower draft bill in the
House this week. The Army al
ready has announced that no
name" athletes will be rejected for
service without a microscopic re-
view of his case by the War De-
partment. Even though it was a
blunt hint that athletes with only
minor defects may be called for
limited duty, some club owners
hailed the announcement with sat-
isfaction. To them it was a move
toward clarifying the muddled sit
uation.
That announcement and the Ian
guage of the new bill probably will
determine sports immediate future.