Honolulu Record, August 26, 1948, vol. 1 no. 4, p. 4
Hartley of Taft-Hartley; How Loyal are Boxers?
Tiny Todd
(Special to the Record)
New York —Rep. Fred Hartley (R.) of the Taft-Hartleys, with both eyes cocked on the November election, has announced that the "boxing monopoly" must be broken. Rep. Hartley has always been the vigorous foe of such "monopolies" as those of closed shops for union workers, health and welfare funds for miners, etc., though the Nazi affiliations of various Wall Street firms have not worried him.
Now Hartley comes up with a proposal to break the "boxing monopoly" of the aging Mike Jacobs and his none-too-agile lieutenant, Sol Strauss. It is worth noticing, of course, that some other zealous characters, such as Andy Neidereiter, already have Jacobs and Strauss holding in the clinches, but Hartley's plan for moving boxing to New Jersey is also worth a little attention.
It was bad enough with Jacobs running the show under the supervision of Col. Eddie Eagan. Under Fred Hartley and Boss Frank Hague, it should be a caution to the jaybirds.
Of course, Rep. Hartley would establish quite a different sort of legal control to his good, new boxing monopoly from the sort Col. Eagan exercises over the bad old Jacobs monopoly. We may as well get ready for control by committee —Congressional, that is—with loyalty checks and hearings with attendant publicity.
So, naturally, a contender for the heavyweight title would have to submit to investigation by a sort of combined Hartley-Thomas Committee.
A transcript of the investigation of a contender, Cannonball Jones, might run something like this:
Rep, Hartley: "Now, Mr. Jones, before we approve your fight with the champion, we have to make sure of your loyalty. Do you have anything to do with the Reds?"
Jones: "You mean Reds Burman?
Naw, I wouldn't have nothing to do with him. He's washed-up."
Hartley: "I don't think you understand? I mean Communists, Do you know any Communists?"
Jones: "Sure, there's a bunch around Stillman's Gym all the time."
Rep. Thomas: "You mean they've infiltrated boxing, too? How do you know these men around the gymnasium are Communists?"
Jones: "Why, there's a lot of them communes every day from Long Island and Jersey City. Then Ray Robinson, sometimes he communes down from Harlem. There's Communists all over."
Hartley: "I'm afraid you've misunderstood again, Mr. Jones. We mean Communists, not commuters By the way, what do you think of Joseph Stalin?"
Jones: "Is that the fella beat me a decision out on the Coast? Now listen, I'd have had that fight, only both judges missed the first five rounds because they were watching a television show in a bar somewheres. You can't blame me for that."
Hartley. "No, no, you don't understand. I'll put it this way. How do you feel about the Russians."
Jones: "I love "em."
Chorus of investigators: "You do?"
Jones: "Sure. These rush-ins is my meat. They rush in on me and I let 'em have my right hand and school's out."
Thomas: "Let me try, Fred. Young man, do you know any foreign agents?"
Jones: "Well, let me see, there's Jack Pfeffer that always brings in a bunch of foreign wrestlers. He might be able to get you a couple of fights somewheres if you saw him. I tell you, though, fella, you look a little old for it, though I can see you got the stummick."
Rankin: (But of course the Southerner'd be there!) "Ah'll and see ef ah cain't make the gentleman undehstayand. Mah mayun, ah will take ovah the interrogation."
Jones: "Come again?"
Rankin: "Ah say, ah will take ovah the interrogation."
Jones: (To Hartley) "Say, bo, is this fella a foreigner. Tell him to make with the English. I don't catch his routine."
(The Congressmen convene in a hurried whispered consultation, after which Rep. Hartley emerges smiling.)
Hartley: "Mr. Jones, I am glad I to tell you, we find you a perfect, 100 per cent American, and we're glad to approve your fight. We are sure you'll be an excellent example for American youth."
Jones: "Thanks, bo. Be glad to do the same, for you some time."