Evening star., 1948-10-26
End Of Pro Grid's War
Urged by A-AC Head
To Aid Both Loops
BY the Associo.ed Press

NEW YORK, Oct. 26.-Admiral
Jonas Ingram, All-America Confer
ence commissioner, hopefully await
ed a favorable response today to his
plea for a peaceful settlement of CO.
ordinated schedules and player
draft problems existing between his
organization and the National Foot
ball League.
Speaking at the weekly luncheon
of the Metropolitan Football Writ
ers' Association here yesterday, IN
gram said he believed the rivals
could iron out their major differ
ences over the conference table. He
insisted, however, his talk was not
an indication of weakness within
his league, but rather was arf effort
to make his position clear in view of
recent statements by club owners
that some clubs would fold" If the
inter-league rivalry was not ended.
"The All-America Conference has
been in existence three years and 1t
now is stronger than ever before"
he said. Our average attendance
this year Is better than ever before,
although some clubs are weak. I
am sure that in 1949 we will have
the same eight teams with even
better players and eight of the fin
est coaching stats in America"
Next Move Up to NFL.
Ingram emphasized that his talk
was a public invitation to the Ma
tional League club owners to hold
a peace session, but added: Il think
I have done practically all I can do.
The newt move should come from
the National League. I am ready
to meet anybody on a common
plane at any place and any time"
The only questions holding up
peaceful relations are those of the
common draft of graduating college
players and coordination of sched-
ules in cities where both leagues
have clubs, Ingram insisted. He IS
strongly opposed to any proposal
that the two leagues be ANAL
gamated.
his personal opinion and that he
was not speaking for the confer
ence in opposing a combination OF
the leagues.
THE two leagues now have a
common respect for each others
contracts" Ingram said. The only
thing they must have is the COM
mon draft. I am all for the player,
but we all know players are getting
too much money No club can have
three $4,000 quarterbacks. tt has
to fill the stands just to pay the
quarterbacks"
A co-ordinated schedule would
present some difficulties, but could
be worked out just as it has been
in baseball, he said.
These things can be worked out
very simply. If two or three men
from each league would sit around a
table they could decide them in S
A-A-C Seen Solid.
Questioned about statements by
Dan Topping. New York Yankees
owner, and Arthur Mickey Nc
Bride of Cleveland that some clubs
could not survive if the war con-
tinued, the commissioner said.
They were just honest enough to
say what others think. It's a true
statement. Our only weak club is
Chicago and it will be in there next
year. stronger than ever. =
1T may be that Chicago has too
many clubs, especially if one of them
isp't. winning. Brooklyn should be
ables to support a pro club and Los
Angeles is all right for two clubs.
"As for rumors that Paul Brown
(Cleyeland coachD is about to desert
us and that Cleveland and San Fran
cisco are ready to Jump to the other
league, we all get temperamental in
the heat of things.
Brown came to me once before
and I told him Paul, you have a
good job and no alumni to bother
you I thing he will be around for
some time. And I have the assur-
ance of Topping and Mcbride that
they do not intend to jump"