Show I Will Baseball Sing Swan Song on w. w fi Game Popular In Spite of War WarBy WarI I By H. H C. C Hamilton United Press Staff Correspondent I 5 1 EW o w YORK May 27 I N NEW N If If base baseball baIl Is fi finally finally tI- tI nally classed as an au unnecessary and its hired hands are hied away to do duty in more I important work It will go down singing a song of strength and amI popularity popularity pop- pop for the present season the second successive successive successive suc suc- wartime season Ione is I isOne isone one of the most encouragIng encouraging ing lag in the history of ot the game Queries made in every big league town through the United Press have disclosed that the fans I instead of gloomily forsaking forsaking forsaking for for- their baseball are supporting it just as well as a year ago and some someI cities have reported an I Increase War Var has dwindled dwin dwin- dIed the regular list of fans of course but It has halo I brought some new ones to take tale their places And the lad i d men are 1 making up a great share of the daily dally attendance New York opened its season to one of the large largest lar- lar ge gest t opening day crowds in history and both clubs have been exceeding lass las years year's ear a average Brooklyn has fallen off slightly but not enough to be really noticeable Washington had a falling failing off but the advent of Sunday baseball soon corrected it The Pittsburg club started with mournful howls from the management management management manage manage- ment but the fans have turned over the calamity singers and are turning out better than since Free Frea Clarkes Clarke's s days The Browns have doubled doubled dou dou- bled their attendance of ot a year ago The Cardinals due to their bad start have been below their former former former for for- mer mark The White Sox despite a slump have got cot off to toI I the same sized crowd they played before last spring and amI the Cubs with a better better better bet bet- ter team have left theold the theold old oki record behind One Sunday game in Detroit saw persons persons persons per per- sons in the park parI TOe One weekday attendance is norma normal Bad weather has hit Cleveland and the attendance attendance attendance at at- is far under last year years year's a figures Despite predictions that the Phillies would suffer fi from flom om the loss of Alexander and this clubs club s attendance has improved over o last year years year's s and the Athletic Athletics are playing to great crowds In Boston there las has been no change from last year Cincinnati has suffered suffered suffered suf suf- some from bad weather but the attendance attendance attend attend- ance anco of 1917 has been duplicated duplicated du du- du- du on recent days |