| Show WHO WILL hILL REFEREE THE BIG FIGHT Question Is Real One for Principals Principals Principals pals Promoters and Fans i FIGHTERS WILL NOT AGREE I I SITUATION DELICATE AND ONLY OBJECTIONS SEEN BY B W w V San Francisco May 14 With all the prominent Californians who have had tp do with the refereeing of glove contests of years objected to by one side or the other the average sport sporting sportIng sportIng to Know who will willbe willbe ing man is puzzled judgment of the be selected to pass fight When Sam Berger and Jack John Johnson Johnson Johnson son agreed to disagree on the point at their initial conference on May 4 quite a number were of the opinion that a little stalling was being resorted to toto toto toto to stimulate interest in the big ring vent No sir said Tex Rickard Bickard deter determinedly when the suggestion Was made in his presence This fight is jetting etting all the advertising it needs and andt t seems to me that if any were necessary necessary sary ary the best boost the affair could receive would have been the news that thata a 1 referee had been selected s at the time appointed by the articles I dont sup suppose suppose suppose pose there will be any hitch over the matter but it would have suited me a ait ot it better if they had chosen their referee feree at the first attempt It is evident now that views are shared by the majority It Itis Itis Itis is no secret that Berger and Johnson had a two hours session at the Seal Rock house where Johnson is located m rn the th evening of May 3 and that it vas cas evident when the men party part com corn company pany that their conference on the fol owing day would be barren of results In ordinary fights politics enter argel into the selection of the ref referee referee referee Each man with an ambition to act as Judge and earn the accompany accompanying ing fee not only pulls wires In his own behalf but brings to bear all the in influence Influence fluence his personal friends can mus muster muster mUster ter Johnson Wants Welch Under such circumstances the de degree degree degree gree of buttonholing whispering and backbiting that has ha been indulged in inthe inthe Inthe the present argument can be readily imagined It is said that Johnson has been placed on his guard to such an extent through being warned against this man and that his field of choice has narrowed down doIl to Jack Welch and that If the Jeffries camp does not agree e to accept Welch W the negro will almost go to the extreme of refusing to ener en er the ring Johnson named Eddie Graney Grane too but it is said that when he did so it was with the full conviction that Jef Jeffries Jeffries Jeffries fries would never ever agree to Graney he might ultimately decide to do in respect to Welsh For that matter some of or Jeffries friends are claiming that Johnson promised faith faithfull faithfull faithfull full not to introduce name as asa asa asa a candidate for th tim position of referee when the preliminaries of the big fight w ware wre re bein being discussed in the east So far as the writer is concerned this is in no sense an inference that Graney is not as well qualified to act as Welch or anybody else I am mere merely ly 17 catching rumors of the situation as II they fly and reducing them to the semblance of news newsOne newsOne newsOne One thing is certain it will be an I matter if either of the heavyweights has to accept a man he I has already flouted From Prom what can be gathered from the friends of both parties in fact all the men discarded so o far an entirely suspected sport sportIng sporting sportIng Ing man Is likely to be picked to ref ree oree what some one has described as the worlds fair of pugilism Gleason Takes Hand Rand What is sauce for the goose la Is sauce for the gander When at the opening conference it became patent that Johnson wanted Welsh or Graney and that Berger wanted Eddie Smith or Charley Charle Eyton and that none of the named are likely to be chosen Promoter Gleason took a hand He warned Berger and Johnson that If they could not agree the articles ro N that each side should name two men and the duo make a selection Johnson gave the table a resound resounding resounding resoundIng ing whack with his big fist fis and blurt blurted blurted blurted ed out Well I f he te puts down the two names I have already objected to 10 and one on of them is chosen there will willbe willbe be no fight In view of f Johnsons declaration loyal fight followers are wondering whether th the two names he will win sub submit submit submit mit to Rickard and Gleason in case casa the task of naming the referee de devolves devolves devolves upon the promoters are those of Jack Welsh and Eddie Graney Ke He H knows of course that Jeffries has ob objected objected i to the two mentioned and if he I threatens withdrawal from the fight In case the Jeffries s sid sIde continues to name Eddie Edolie Smith and Charley Eyton he will have to that his idea of equal rights are remarkably one sided The issue seems to be shrouded in doubt right now but there Is one whisper which is somewhat hoarser than the rest It is to the effect that when the promoters have sifted d nat mat matters natters to the bottom and have decided d that if there is no other way wa out of the difficulty they the will endeavor to induce the rival heavyweights to toss up a coin to determine which of the two men shall Judge the fight and that these two men are Jack Welch and I Eddie Ed le Smith |
