Show Growth of Interest in Loop Towns Alarming By Frank Getty United Press Sports Editor TORONTO Ont Dec C Behind G Behind tho tile superficial scene scone of ot this baseball base basc- ball meeting with Its loud conversation conversation conver comer i In il the tho hotel lobbies and soft speech in th the back rooms and Its formal meetings where little men cr cry Mr Chairman and strut their brief moment In the tho limelight lies liesa a a. movement of ot more importance to Americas America's national pastime than all the the Idle idle chatter about the draft and deals and the disciplining of or recalcitrant recalcitrant recal recal- ball clubs I. I The expansion of baseball beyond Its present limits which as far tar as the tho two major leagues are nrc concerned concerned concerned con con- have been fixed rigidly for twenty-eight twenty years lears Is a subject of real concern to those who understand understand under under- stand the tho situation It was not al altogether altogether al- al together the tho desiro for tor a holiday and some 4 per cent beer that brought brough t major league presidents club owners and representatives in unprecedented numbers to this annual annual annual an an- nual meeting of or tho the minors PAY FEE OF When tho the annual association re resumed resumed re- re I its session this morning there was discussion of the universal draft and its Jis Q application to the tho class AA leagues There Thero Y will b be no acceptance of or the scheme by the International International In In- Pacific Coast and American Amer ican lean Association magnates so that whatever is voted cannot apply to those circuits protected prote as they aro are by the tho p minor major inor agreement n considerably more importance I may be tho the National Associations Association's I action upon a a. process handed down by the advisory council of baseball baseball baseball base base- ball whereby tho the major leagues upon payment of a fee Q oC cf shall havo have the right to acquire the franchise o of ot an any minor league club at a valuation either to be agreed upon by the parties concerned or 01 fixed b by Judge Landis This is a a. question which li h has been discussed privately at Toronto and with some somo feeling It has not been talked in the smoky corridors of the KIng Xing Edward hotel where feet foot are beginning to blister bUster from contact with tho marble floors floors- and baseball men have begun to wear that strained d expression of those who rack lack their brains for fec- tho the odd c anee- dote But aut in tho the private suites men whose whoso money i is invested Invest- Invest ed sd In the tho game particularly in the larger arger minor leagues this proposition proposition proposition tion i is considered most port Im-port important TO PROTEST EXPANSION S The Tho purpose of tho ilio proposal Is obvious Tho The major leagues wish to protect themselves against encroachment en encroachment encroachment en- en en- en from without or or undue expansion from from within the tho ranks of organized baseball which might bring n about bout a situation where a third big league would come into existence It Is not so se much that another F Federal league war is feared These men of organized baseball believe belleve the he danger of ot such a war Is slight Already they are aie talking about bout dividing di sll- viding up the contents of or the bursting burst burst- ing ng coffers of their war chest But Buthe the he growth of baseball communities outside tho the major league cities has haa hasl been l een such of late lale that some somo of them like Baltimore Montreal Toronto Toronto Toronto To To- and Buffalo feel teel they are ready for a a big league ball club It t might be that if expansion wore expansion were to take place within r the limits of organized baseball these thesa cities would not have havo major league clubs ut would have clubs lubs which would v uld be ba bigger biggor than some now l hang hang- ns- ns Ing ng on in the tho two major cir circuits and they could compete for tor ball balt ballplayers pla players and hence for tor attendance in n a manner disconcerting to the of status quo |