Show BAN aAN JOHNSON MAY LET GO 1 American leader Willing to Re Relinquish Relinquish Relinquish linquish New York Franchise I If i MUST BE RE RESPONSIBLE p rj IBlE f BEADY TO Or G GIVE VE E OLUR B TO o LO OGAL AG AGMEN f t i MEN NEN 4 Chicago Feb 7 President ent Johnson yesterday esterday professed ignorance of any arty new turn in the affairs of the Anton Ameri American can league e in New N W York as indicated by the reports from fron there to the effect I that a new syndicate was in the field with a proposition to back b ck the new I Gotham club cIu His Information on the subject was confined to the newspaper j I reports and to tan a dispatch which he had i t I received the night before from New NewYork j I II York Tork asking when he could come to tot I that hat t city for a n conference with Wit h the backers ba ers This dispatch he said did not come ome from Homers Somers Som rs or Kilfoyl or any x Ot t the I American leagues teagues agents there but j I from a sympathizer and he had no fur further ther th r idea of the Identity of the syndi syndicate syndicate syndicate cate than that published in the papers He Be bad had replied that he h would go to toN New N w Tork York early in the week we k and ex explained e I Il pl l the change in his plans by I pointing out the past policy of the league to secure local ocal backing In alt all its cities ClUes whenever people acceptable to the league could be found If It these capitalists wish to take the franchise and carry on the undertaking along the same lines Jines we have laid I out said he we may be a e to do I business with them Our plans there involve greater expense than is usually put into a baseball plant on account of ot I our intention to get the best and to tomake tom tomake I make m ke a permanent Investment of it Ever EV r since i we e commenced operations In Ia New York Y rk te we have hae been more embar embarrassed embarrassed embarrassed than otherwise by the number of people desirous of backing a club there Some of them have been non nonresidents nonresidents nonresidents residents others have not been acceptable acceptable ble to the club owners while some of our own members rs have hav shown hoYn a dispo disposition I to want the club for tor themselves But It has always been the lt leagues policy polley to prefer local backing I whenever vet that seemed to promise best results for the league and for the ad I or of baseball I I I So far far the the league legue has has retained full I control of the matter just as we have in putting new clubs into other cities I It was the same In Boston and St I ILo I Louts Lo and In Id l the latter city plans were well advanced before the right kind of men were found to take the franchise Into their own hands I do not know anything about this new ness tingle tangle except what I have read in the papers I re received rec calved c Ived a dispatch asking me when I could come to te New York and anti telling me tue mea mea a number of f men with whom It would be b to the leagues best interest to deal were w re desirous of taking the whole affair in hand I replied that I was then con confined confined confined fined to my bed again but would be beable beable beable able to start by Monday or Tuesday This Is the extent of my knowledge of ot otI the affair |