Show i SPORT SNAP SHOTS l I By Jack Keene I War Yar Secretary Bakers Baker's ruling that baseball Is 11 a occupation and th that t the players come colle under th the work ork or ur fight order was not It is entirely In line with the straightforward derisive decisive determined way Washington officials arc going ahead to accomplish Americas America's one ob ob- ob That is Is to win tho the war ivar They The mean to let no obstacle stand In the w wa way iy D Baseball moguls argued r that The parks and properties tied ted u up woula woul lj be hi r rendered worthless and Idle idie If I the ph players r were included In the time or order or- or ci der er Tho Fito players are arc highly highly trained Jn iii li baseball a- a n. n aan an occupation and know knowlie no lie 10 other trade Tho p public needs professional base base- ball bal the ball thy great national game Its It's tru true that the parl parks s including grand d other oIlier equipment would woul tie na Id of or little Ule value alue for anything outside of ot But tho the magnates h have he e only themselves to blame Had the they showed the proper propel spirit from the tho- beginning by making those properties produce thousands o of dollars f C ft various war war funds fund I I f I faIr r return for Cor or the 0 owners tho the l d government govern govern- ment might have seen the matter In a different light But while leaders in other oIlier n major Jor sports tennis golf olt etc otc proceeded to center their efforts en entirely en- en on boosting the recruiting ot of otmen men mon the lie staging of ot benefit l matches and anti all n ol other er methods of ot aiding aiding- In the of oJ the thu war the magnates at M were yore doing what nhat hat With one or two two exceptions the they busily engaged in iii II cutting cut cut- tn ting their own expenses expense In Increasing Increasing Increasing In- In creasing their thel own revenue re 1 by rais rals ing lag prices and In seeing how hov f few w war vat benefit panics thC they could stage anti and get et U by When hen Clark Griffith Griffth started the ba baand and n ball bail hal fund to provide our out boys bat In Franco France nn and In United States cantonments canton canton- ments with wih equipment tans fans and sport writers suggested u that several se da days be hue le arranged at nt er C every park for tor the tue benefit of ot the fund tUll The Tho magnates finally ar- ar ran ranged e to give I e a percentage of one days day's r re c to lo the lie cause While tIC ticy were opening their hearts this wn way the they Daw to It that popcorn peanuts ice cream cren and drinks netted them thel Increased revenue And then the they sought to save their skins L by arguing thou thIn the ball players were untrained In coy iny 1 other tion tiomi lon Lh y asked askel that two or three hundred till full ful grown men In lot perfect ph physical m. m capable of or fur ing p II lIr r cent service In lr an essential occupation to aid In successful prose prose- cutton culon of oL the tIe war Lc to allowed to con- con devoting dc two or urs lu a aday day oem day on bright day to da to i playing ayn They risey argued that th the lie public needs the great groat national same game unc lo lu keep keEp heal henl- th till thy cJe called the tile turn on iii n all aJ arguments argument Th The properties may loY have h c I to He lie except fur for special occasions for Cor war benefits Hut But thc they nr arc aro riot not Ir ny vital part in lit vIrming the nl war i iThe Th The players ma la may V be e untrained in iii I other pursuits nut Hut a strong healthy man finn can un lio Jo tal taught ht to tobe lie n IL nT ls In t n. n I up i In n a short h time mit The rhe public do dl dos s Baseball the baseball the the national game as ns a sport WIt But the tue amateur team playing In the open parks will furnish sport for for th the fans and ml millions of men and und boys s who isho arenow are arc now playing one old cat I. I ii their hackard lack hack backyard yard larl the or corner l lt t will keep right on n ri ii lh this healthful sport o The rho writer Is 18 a 0 c r lo o baseball baseball baseball-as as as asa a sport He lIe would uld liko to see ti-c ti Ue lug big Ilg lea leagues continue nn and hopes tilt 11 y thi-y do The They can cn I bj hI 1 e. old players above e tho the draft C and hy ty calling In ape ago younger young yung er or pla players rs now OW starring In minor circuits cir cir- cir cir- cults cuis and amul alJ amateur Ici But tho Ito writer wrier has felt Cel all nI along lun aa ns though the tIo tiC magnates were laying laing back In th the harness patriotically because e their lovo loo for the lie almighty nickel nicke iva was waS their passion Maybo this will wIl be lie te n a t lesson Jesson for them theirs and thc they 1101 will wl handle the game came with wIh a ra raI aI better spirit when whon th the I beter Hihl war wac ends 1 |