The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-21
HARRIDGE ENCOURAGEDB BY
 BYRNES' TALK
BY PAUL HARRISON

United Press Stair Correspondent
 Washington, Feb 21. (UP)-Base. balls 1945 prospects appeared brighter today after 8 conference between the major leagues presi' dents and War Mobilization Direc- tor James F. Byrnes yesterday brought forth no new obstacles for the sport.
 Ford Prick of the National league and Will Harridge of the American League were optimistic after the hour-long conference on man. power and said that they were all set to complete plans for the opening of the season in April.
 Prick and Harridge were to see one other government official today to wind up their trip here. They would not reveal his name, but it was believed that he was Col J. Monroe Johnson, head of the office of defense transportation.
 Prick said during an interview that he and Harridge did not come to Washington for a flat statement of policy on baseball's future. Rather, he said, they came to discuss and to weigh their problems against those the government has in mobil- izing production and the armed forces. They can then determine, he said, whether it will be worth while going on with plans for the 1945 season.
 Neither would reveal the exact nature of their conference with ByrneS.
 "Manpower was discussed ir rather broad terms" Prick said. Transportation and night games were not"
 He said the discussion had been "profltable" and that Byrnes was cordial and kindly"
 Prick emphasized that no one should jump to the conclusion that the meeting was decisive. No request was made for another session with Byrnes, Prick said, and no future meeting is planned now.
 Yesterdays meeting as arranged by Clark c. Griffith, owner of the Senators. Griffith vas to have spent the day with Prick and Harridge but he became sud- denly ill. His condition was said to be improving.
 The major leagues have hoped to carry on with 4-Fs and under-or- over-age men. But their problem is complicated by the fact that recent from Byrnes office have amied at those groups in an effort to fill manpoWer gaps in war indus tries.
 Price noted the Senate Military Affairs Committees action yesterA day in shelving a work-o -or-else bill In favor of less drastic measure putting most responsibility on gov ernment agencies and employees.
 Personally" he said, I'm in favor of a -or-fight bill" But he added that it might further hin- der baseball.
 T think there are two yardstickS to use in deciding baseball's contin- lance," he said. One is whether it 1as anything to offer the country. The other is whether the price is lair.
 Obviously" he said, we in baseball think the price for what We offer is worth while Otherwise, we would have closed up shop long lgo."
 But if. after presenting his case, he sport world should be banned, le said, T think I speak for all of baseball when I say we would take he order without murmur of pro- est"
 The price of major league base ,all this year, Prick said, is about '50 to 400 men out of some 18,000,- 100 men 18 to 45 years of age. No Hub expects to keep men fit for ervice. he said.
 To give people the kind of enter ainment they want, he said, there would be great difficulty in cutting my further the transportation which has already been re- luced
 Prick said he did not think the lectricity involved in night games, IT the manpower in ball park main- enance and operation were con- idered problems.