Show Released by Western Newspaper Union T THE HE unofficial ruling of Paul V. V McNutt War Manpower commissioner com corn commissioner missioner that baseball and all unessential sports generally is came as no great surprise to baseball baseball baseball base base- ball leaders Few of them ever had the idea that baseball was essential McNutt did not speak for direct quotation He designated sports as unessential in reply to a series of I questions put to him several weeks ago by a baseball reporter Leaders of the sport expected no favors They realized that many of their players would be frozen in war industries and the War Var Manpower commission indicated they were right However McNutt 1 uttered no specific statement of policy covering covering covering cover cover- ing the freezing of ball players or other professional proCessional athletes It is F 4 doubtful if any such statement will willbe willbe willbe be made in the near future Each draft board will be given the authority authority authority au au- au- au to to act in accordance e. e with the local situation The Unit United d Press quoted McNutt as saying The leThe usefulness of the sport is a separate question from the essentiality essentiality essen essen- of the individuals who play it Thus it may well be that it is desirable that have a ball team but may lose certain certain tam tain members of the team to higher priority industries industries even even members who might be essential to winning the pennant The pennant is not essen essential The Tire Crystal Ball There is no good reason why McNutt McNutt Mc Mc- Nutt Draft Director Hershey or any other government official should attempt attempt attempt at at- tempt to chart a fixed almost inflexible inflexible inflexible in in- flexible course for baseball players or any other professional athletes Of course they want their status clarified They want to know if they are to be permitted to play baseball baseball baseball base base- ball football etc or if they are areto areto areto to be drafted into war industry orthe or orthe or orthe the armed services They want to know what the future has in store for them But every other man in civilian l life e wants to know the same thing He wants to know what his future is during wartime The average physically fit white collar worker knows that his job doesn't offer the same degree of security that it did five years ago He understands that the government cant can't tell him exactly exactly exactly ex ex- ex- ex how when and where he fits into the over-all over picture The changing changing changing chang chang- ing course of events which cannot always be foreseen by the government government government govern govern- ment may alter any mans man's status A great majority of baseball leaders leaders leaders lead lead- ers recognize this fact They hope certainly that baseball will continue for the duration but are more than willing to make their share of sacrifices flees for the good of their country S S S The Lion-Hearted Lion When Gus Dorais severed an 18 year athletic association with the University of Detroit the Detroit Lions acquired the services of a man who is bound to become an important important important tant figure in hi the National Football league Dorais who left with the blessing of the university to become head bead coach general manager and part owner of the Lions said among other things that I am enthusiastic about the future of major league football and will bend every effort to see sec that the Detroit Lions take their rightful place in the football world Fred L. L Mandel Jr who bought the Lions for in 1940 said that he was certain the move was the greatest thing in the history of the team It is estimated that Mandel Mandel Mandel Man- Man del wealthy Chicago department store magnate has spent an additional additional additional addi addi- on the team since purchasing it He wants a strong professional football team and is willing to spend money to get it Dorais is a good coach But he has a heart breaking job ahead of him The next couple of years likely likely likely like like- ly will make his career as a collegiate collegiate collegiate col col- col- col coach appear as a bed of roses in contrast His way three-way job with the Lions isn't conducive to placidity Background It was back in 1913 that Dorais gained his first football fame lIe He was pitching forward passes to Knute Rockne at Notre Dame Since then he he lie has been backfield coach at Notre Dame and head coach at Columbia college Iowa Gonzaga university and the U. U of D. D He lie stayed at Detroit from 1924 through the 1912 1942 season During his stay at Detroit Dorais teams won von games tied seven and lost 50 for a percentage In 1928 his team went undefeated winning win ning nine straight games One thing is fairly certain Dorais has accepted an overwhelming share of the responsibility for the I clubs club's future His appointment marks the first time in history that thata a National league club has appointed appoint appoint- ed an athletic director Dorais will choose his own assistants assistants assistants assist assist- ants do his own scouting make up the teams team's schedule have charge of all ull equipment arrange for trips and select the players Our money money for for the long haul haul is is ison on Dorais He wont won't win the championship championship cham chamP in 1943 but he will build surely and speedily for the future |