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Show OVER A MILLION TO PLAYBA3E8ALL National Game to Be Played on Extensive Scale in Training Train-ing Camps. WASHINGTON, March 13. Base-hall Base-hall will bo played on an extensive scale in the nrmy and navy training 'camps this year. There are more than 1.500,000 men under military training in the country today and tho commissions com-missions on training camp activities of tho war and navy departments, which bavo tho supervision of sports in tho army cantonments and naval stations, want every single ono of these men to play baseball.' And it is likely every ono will, for what average American can resist the call of the diamond? This means that more baseball base-ball will bo played this summer than over before. The season is already under ,way in most of tho camps. Tho soldiers and sailors waited for no official inauguration inaugura-tion and the snow had barely left the; ground before games woro In progress on camp athletic fields and parade grounds. In fact, in places favored with a mild climate the men have played throughout the winter. Plans for tho organization of camp teams and camp leagues are being formulated for-mulated by Dr. Joseph A. Raycroft general director of athletics in tho camps, under tho supervision of the training camp commission. Before another an-other month passes the soldiors will have their company, regimental and divisional teams,- and those teams in turn will form company and regimental regimen-tal leagues. No divisional leagues are contemplated, because of the scattered locations of most of tho cantonments, but where traveling conditions permit intercamp games will be arranged. In Navy, Too. Similar plans for tho naval stations are being made by Walter Camp, who is general director of naval athletics. Each stntion will have a representative representa-tive team, which will be selected by elimination and will play out schedules sched-ules that are being drawn up with amateur, professional and college nines from adjacent cities. It Is also possiblo that tho sailors may play teams from near-by army camps and engage in interstation contests, as the stations are much nearer one another than the army cantonments. At the Boston navy yard a picked aggregation, which includes several big league stars in training there, is being organized for a three-month tour of the country to play major league lea-gue teams and fast semlprofesslonal and collegiate nines. John J. Lano. former for-mer secretary of the Boston Red Sox and now a navy warrant officer, has been made business manager of tho team and is making arrangements for the trip, the proceeds of which will be turned over to the navy welfaro fund. It is estimated that approximated 50.000 balls will be used up "officially" In the camp games in the course of the season. This figure is arrived at by estimating es-timating that there are over 4000 companies com-panies in training in the various camps and multiplying this number by twelve, which is the number of baseballs the training camp commission commis-sion is planning to furnish each unit, in addition to gloves and bats. Many more, of course, will be supplied by the men themselves and these will bring the number nearer 70,000, it is believed. believ-ed. When the soldiers began arriving in the camps last summer they turned at once to baseball as the first means of amusement. Lack of equipment was no deterrent; in fact, the men seemed to take keener enjoyment in playing under tho conditions of years back, when the only player who wore a glove was the catcher. In due time, however, the game was put on an organized' basis. At one western camp sixteen diamonds were laid out and contests in simultaneous progress on each have not been infrequent. By multiplying the enthusiasm of a single game by sixteen, it can bo readily seen what a tremendous moral effect alone the national na-tional pastime is having in the camps. Baseball Big Factor. But baseball is not only helping to keep our soldiers and sailors morally fit by providing them with wholesome recreation it is also helping them prepare for tho struggle over there. Few games develop the co-ordination of mind and muscle and judgmont of distanco like baseball. The truth of this statement Is borne out by the fact that army leaders have found that in grenade throwing, where accuracy In the estimation of distanco is essential, essen-tial, men who have played the national nation-al sport excel. Combining as it does this maximum of recreation and military mili-tary training, it is no small wonder then that tho commissions on training train-ing camp activities should want every soldier and sailor to play ball. Any number of baseball celebrities have joined the colors since war was declared and a nine of which any major ma-jor league city might well be proud could bo picked from either tho army or navy. Among the 'diamond stars now In tho service aro Rabbit Ma ran -vtlle, Ernie Shore, Del Gainer, Chick Shorten, Herb Pennock and John Barry Bar-ry of tho Red Sox, Jack Leary of the St. Louis Americans and Jim Scott of tho Chicago White Sox. Major league officials and amateur baseball associations have volunteered their assistance in promoting baseball in the camps. They have offered to send teams into the camps to play the service nines or bring In other outside teams for exhibition games. Camp Lewis, at American Lake, Wash., was asked to Join tho Northwestern league, but the invitation was refused because the exigencies of service will prevent traveling. It is believed, however, that "twilight" ball may make it possible to bring league teams to the camp exhibition ex-hibition contests. DEMPSEY HAS OUTSIDE CHANCE FOR MATCH NEW YORK, March 12. Colonel J. C. Miller, Oklahoma ranchman, who announced througli the International News Service last night that he has secured Jess Willard's signature to articles pledging him to fight July 4, is now on his way to Kansas City for a conference with Fred Fulton's manager. man-ager. If he cannot arrange terms for Fulton Ful-ton to meet Willard, he will put the proposition to Jack Dempsey, Colonel Miller declared today. TAKES GOVERNMENT POSITION. PROVO. March 12 A. Rex Johnson, son of Mrs. Ellis Johnson, left today for Washington to take a position in the agricultural division of the war department. Mr. Johnson is a graduate of the B. Y. U. commercial department and has been with tho Utah Power & Light company for the past two years. He is 19 years of age. ONE SEMI-FINAL - MATCH PLAYED PINEHURST, N. C, March 12. Only one of the seml-tlnals in the men's singles of the men's championship champion-ship tournament was disposed of today. to-day. Dwight R- Meigs of Philadelphia defeated de-feated H. B. Swope of Maderia, Pa., 6-2, 6-3. |