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Show 'ORGANIZED BALL I i FACING ATTACK M Baltimore Club Charges Con- M 4 spiracy on Part of American H and National Leagues. H ! Philadelphia, March 29. Organized Hj baseball is facing another attack H against its existence in a suit for H 900,000 damages filed In the United H States district court here today un- H der the national anti-trust laws by H ihe Federal baseball club of Baltl- H 'inore. The defendants in the suit are H the National and American leagues, Hi tind the sixteen clubs making up their H membership, the three members of Ht lhe.national baseball commission, Hj .James A. Gllmore, Charles E. Weegh- H' tnan and Harry Sinclair, formerly of Hj ihe Federal league. H I If tne Federal, league of Baltimore Hi "wins Its suit, organized baseball will Hj ""be in peril of attack by the federal H government, it Is said. Hi I Tho difference between the suit filed today and the one begun by the Federal league against organized baseball In Chicago in January, 1915, is that the present action Is one for damages only, while the first one was an injunction to restrain organized or-ganized baseball from continuing certain cer-tain acts alleged to be in violation -of the Sherman anti-trust law. Government May Act. To win the present action the Baltimore Bal-timore club must show that organised organ-ised baseball as at present constituted constitut-ed Is in violation of the Sherman anti-trust law and the Clayton antitrust anti-trust act. If it proves this and recovers re-covers damages, lawyers said tonight, the government may have to take cognizance cog-nizance of the court's decree. The Baltimore club alleges that it was not considered In the negotiations negotia-tions last winter which resulted in the so-called peace agreement be- tu'pftn rvrfn nl 7 oH fioaoKoll nnri VnA- eral league owners, and that In consequence con-sequence It suffered a loss of $300,-000, $300,-000, and asks for triple damaegs under un-der the federal anti-trust laws. The complaint gives a history of the present organization of the game and its operation, mentioning the national na-tional agreement, tho national commission, com-mission, tho baseball players' fraternity frater-nity and the various leagues that enter en-ter Into organized baseball. The complaint recites the organization organiza-tion of the Federal league, charges that organized baseball entered into a conspiracy to wreck It and goes Into the details of the negotiations whereby where-by the Federal league was eliminated from baseball competition. Conspiracy Charged. The Baltimore club charges that the National and American leagues are operating in a combination or conspiracy to restrain trade and have conspired to monopolize or to attempt at-tempt to monopolize a part of the commerce of the states In violation of the federal anti-trust laws. |