Show MOVING PICTURE fEATURE fATUR Of BIG I BATTLE IS S PUZZLING LuNG POINT AT ISSUE I BY JOHN TEMPLE A fi fight ht is of necessity tho the e essence sence of turmoil and confusion and some somo parts of these elements seem always alt to form the tho basis basil of an any discussion ion concerning a meeting between two professional ional fi fighters As AI the tho date dato for tho ho Jeffries- Jeffries Johnson meeting approaches it is j doubtless doubtless doubt doubt- less les natural enough that this h hysteria should increase in intensity and extent but it is still possible to discuss s the matter upon n a t basis of common sense and antI the tho opinion of or the public is un nu- questionably l based upon a broad and nd general jeneral realization of the actual conditions conditions condi condi- governing Fo the contest Curiously enough tho the most authoritative authoritative authoritative and antl con convincing critics of these meetings are arc politicians who 1 frankly a admit mit th y have c never ne seen two men in ina in ina a a 3 ring in their lives or clergymen who start out with the tho perfectly apparent assertion that th they do o not know knot what they thov are arc talking about bout The Tho real experts who are arc the writers ri en who rc regularly watch h criticise and anel describe describe de de- scribe these events o year after year car and whose opinions are arc of actual value are arc never listened to Perhaps tho the mo most t extraordinary extraordinary ex ex- thin thing in the time discussion now raging over the whole country countr- i is t the tho continued assertion that tho thin Jeffries- Jeffries Johnson meeting is a a II prize fight tight Not a Prize Fight It is not a prize fi fight ht in any tn sense of the term Time The rounds arc are so arrange arranged that the men inen arc forced to go o lo 10 their corners amid rest at short intervals so that the they can recover er from tion or assault their han hands s arc are encased in padded gloves Io cs no nu bare haro knuckles re me used and none of or the tricks trilliS of the prize lin ring are tiro permitted If the time contest contest con con- con I test was seas a prize C fight lt in any sense cu c of I Ithe the term terns it could be he stopped in this state at nt once nn and so it could be in any 11 other uther state in the tho It Jt i is is not nut a L I prize fi fight ht but ut a sparring matell and a as such lIch it is perfectly IC legal ld hero and aud no I I j possibility of stopping it exists As for I its brutality that of ot cour course c. c i is is vory Ir I i lar largely lamely a n uc question tio nf of h hysteria to too i i j 1 Jockeys I s. s players i a aeronauts mill men in III every branch of i sport arc are killed far more frequently than luau pugilists I It is only the i ignorant nl who are ate im impressed pressed sell by hy tho time nines mugs the resounding re re- resounding sounding whacks with tho time open glove lo I the terrific swings will which every one uno I knows n will never lIe land 1011 all and 1 the IC crouching crouching crouch crouch- iJ ing rushing hilll and outer other ot lel bt stage c tactics of HC ional boxers I Seems Seem Terrible to lo Some The rime terrific punishment punish ment an and almost fatal fatal n hooks that sonic some assassin tsin of n to pu pugilist ilist gives i another only provoke ule a t tranquil smile I on un t the hc faces fates of t the he experts r i the gasping astonishment of the man mau who witnesses it all nil for Cor the thc first time il is not to be denied In other othel words it must trust be bc admitted that a great groat scare 81 of or orthe the modern methods of boxill boxing in public pub lic lie are arc spectacular and antI practically faked This is due to the commercial spirit The public pa pays l largo large r sums stuns for tickets and the men are arc instructed to toot box ot a n certain number of rotates 10 for Cor show before the real work ork h in begins Thin rho real work of or COUI course l' l is hs usually a short and i vigorous orous round which puts the weaker man rean out and which makes it perfectly perfectly per per- apparent to everybody everybody- ody except the novices ice novices that the tho weaker r man nn could have havo been put out in the first hm round if un any such result ha had really and honestly been cen the purpose of the victor This then lien hrin brings s us to to tho one open l of the thu Jm present discussion over o tho the Johnson Jeffries-Johnson meeting It is frankly whether or not the light fight will be bea a ii 11 fake luttin Putting aside asido nA do all aU public political po po- po and ecclesiastical clamor concerning con con- it it must bo ho said t that at the fighters themselves and their mana managers ers n aroused arousal a suspicion w which ich will wiH not d down wn and which has steadily grown since their secret serret meeting in Ho Hoboken E cr Every detail about the fi fight ht was openly arranged arranged ar ar- ar- ar ranged in tho the presence of sporting writers and it was admitted that tho the n arrangements showed every intention of honesty and a fair struggle It was after the thc arrangements had been completed completed com com- that the thin fi fighters their backers and tho the promoters promoter met secretly in iii Hoboken Hoboken Hoboken Ho- Ho boken and entered into a n contract for forthe forthe the tIle mo in moving picture privileges es Moving Picture Side Every E effort to get at the truth of this important feature of the thc contest has been heen rigorously and ana successfully baffled It is known that the moving picture people would not pa pay a cash sum to either cither of the pugilists for fear there would bo be no pictures to show and it is also known that the they stipulated stipulate that each man should have a t. t percentage percent percent- age I e of tho the profits of the tho pictures so 80 that the fighters would keep up tip their struggle Je lon long enough to supply a certain certain tain number of rounds In other words that the first ten or fifteen rounds lounds should be faked e before tho the actual fighting be began an This is the real reason reason rea rca son for the suspicion that has haFt been cast upon the com coming nl mill It will be noted that it dos does not rest upon innuendo o or rumor atilt ami it must be a admitted that the most careful an and sincere attempts to get et ct at thu tho truth have ha been met b by a aI conspiracy r of secrecy which docs does not I mean fair sport snort No 0 one in authority can make a n direct charge concerning tho the matter matte but the time facts are aro as stated and lI against them stands stains only tho lIndi undisputed truth that Jeffries himself i is a man maim of ofa a absolute solute amid honesty Of this there can he be no doubt Ho lIo is al aI almost almost al- al mo most t I the h he one man nian in the rin ring rin today whoso whose career from front the tho moment that he lie pulled on his first love glove up lip to the pros pres ent cat timo is without a It blot or cloud There Inert is is instance no of his Ids over ever having havin I been a party to a fake fako of any nature and it is is this reputation Deputation which ho lie has which is is II the solo polo answer er to the in moving picture allegation That flint Joff Joffries fries f ries ries- will try to to win is be beyond question hut but particular the tho 1 CVet event cloud clout w WIll no not he be clearer cleared of f this until some seine tin tive statement ig is made respecting tho time moving picture a agreement |