JULY 3, 1950
GOTHAMS SIGN HOWE. QUICKLY JUMPS TO TOP OF PROSPECT LIST
The New York Gothams now possess the number one prospect in baseball after second baseman Earl Howe agree to a $33,000 signing bonus and was instantly placed at the top of the OSA prospect pipeline. The 18-year-old, who was a 3-time High School All-American at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, will likely be at least a couple years away from making his big league debut at Gothams Stadium, but that journey will begin this week with the phenom commences his pro career in Albany. The Gothams have assigned their 18-year-old prodigy to the Albany Knickerbockers of the Class A Middle Atlantic League.
Howe was not the only recent draft selection to crack the OSA's top ten prospect list. Like the Gothams with their Bronx native, the Philadelphia Sailors also went with a local product for their first pick and Bob Gray, a third baseman from Northeast High School in Philadelphia, is ranked #5 by the scouting service after the 17-year-old signed for a $34,000 bonus. The second overall draft pick, who was named a High School All-American for the second time, will debut at Class B Miami of the Southeastern League.
Rounding out the trio of early signings to crack the scouting services top ten is outfielder Ralph Capriotti. The third overall selection is $33,000 richer after signing with the Detroit Dynamos. Like top pick Howe, Capriotti is a three-time High School All-American and is expected to make his pro debut at Class A after the Dynamos assigned him to Terre Haute of the Heartland League. Surprisingly, Capriotti's was not the biggest signing bonus paid by the Dynamos last week as word trickled out that pitcher Beau McClellan -the lefthander from Alabama that Detroit drafted in the second round- was convinced to turn pro by a $38,000 offer the Detroit ballclub made despite asserting throughout the draft process that he was set on going to college. McClellan's signing bonus is a record for the Detroit ballclub and believed to be the highest ever paid to a draft pick.
The top three selections of the 1950 draft are all under contract and ranked in the OSA top ten. Three others chosen in the first sixteen picks in January are also counted among the early signings. They include 6th overall Eddie Webb, a high school pitcher out of South Carolina drafted by the New York Stars and signed for a bonus of $9,590. Webb just agreed to a deal shortly before press time so he will not be ranked by OSA until next week. Another pitcher, Perrysburg, OH., native Elmer Sullivan signed quickly with Brooklyn for a $10,510 bonus. The 17-year-old was selected 10th overall by the Kings and debuts at #64 on the scouting service prospect rankings. Finally, there is Gus Melvin, taken with the 16th and final selection of the opening round by the Cleveland Foresters. The shortstop out of Buffalo, NY's McKinley High, agreed to a $28,000 signing bonus and is just outside the top ten according to OSA, slotting in at #14 among all big league prospects.
SAINTS HEATING UP
No team is hotter then the Montreal Saints right now, who are looking to break their lengthy 28-year pennant drought. Winners of nine of their last ten, the Saints are coming off a 20-10 June before winning all three of their July games. This has completely erased a pathetic 3-14 start, and the Saints (43-32) now sit alone at the top of the Continental Association. The CA has seen plenty of change at the top, but they are now 2.5 games above the Cannons (38-32) and four above the Cougars (38-35), the only team that's bested them on their recent streak. A well rounded team who can both score runs and prevent them, one of the reasons they've had so much success lately is the performance of the always inconsistent Wally Reif.
Reif, 30, was coming off the worst season of his career, going 5-15 with a dreadful 7.05 ERA (57 ERA+) and 1.78 WHIP. This season could not be any different, and the June Pitcher of the Month threw three shutouts and a fourth complete game without an earned run, going 4-1 with a 1.07 ERA (379 ERA+), 0.87 WHIP, 9 walks, and 25 strikeouts. He made six starts, with just one of those outings seeing Reif allow more then two runs. Even when the calendar flipped, Reif managed another complete game win, allowing 12 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts, improving himself to 8-6 on the season. A likely second-time All-Star, he's worked to an impressive 2.62 ERA (154 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP, striking out 58 while allowing just 29 free passes. Reif has always had his issues with the longball, allowing one per start, but he's done an excellent job limiting the damage to just those homers.
Right now, the Saints have just one pitcher, Pete Ford (5-6, 4.16, 41), with an ERA above 4, and that's because his has jumped nearly 50 points in his last two starts. Pat Weakly (5-3, 3.15, 38) is healthy and in the midst of his best career season, while Bert Cupid (6-6, 3.69, 58) and Wally Doyle (8-6, 3.78, 67) have given the Saints countless quality starts. And even if you can chase one of their starters out, the pen is going to keep the lead. Lee Richardson has excelled as a stopper, saving 10 games and finishing 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA (239 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP in 37.1 innings pitched. Ace Adams (3-1, 1.80, 8) and Bud Robbins (4-1, 1, 2.20, 7) can get the game to Richardson without much fanfare, and Andy Lyon (0-1, 3.79, 23) has worked well in a swing role.
Then combine all that with an offense that can keep up with the best of them, and you have all the makings of a legit contender. The Parc Cartier is not conducive of home runs, but Big Moe Carter can mash with the best, tied for 2nd in the association with 16 longballs. The 27-year-old is the heart of the lineup, slashing a robust .285/.364/.506 (132 OPS+) with 34 walks, 42 runs, and 53 RBIs. He has plenty of guys able to get on base for him, as Gordie Perkins (.327, 3, 21) is healthy and back in the lineup, Joe Austin (.255, 5, 28, 17) can turn singles into triples, and despite a drop in slug, Otis O'Keefe (.263, 5, 31) is always on base, walking in nearly 15% of his plate appearances. Behind Carter, Luke Weaver (.304, 2, 24) has produced a 120 WRC+, the first of his five year career above 100, while Bill Greene (.253, 3, 20, 6) has managed above average WRC+ for an entire decade. There are very few weak spots in this lineup, especially if young catcher Jess Garman (.259, 2, 19) becomes more involved, as the 23-year-old sophomore has done well in a reserve role.
As good as the Saints look, this race is still far from over, as five teams are still within five games at first. This is the opposite of the Federal Association, as after the Eagles have fallen out of the sky, no team is within five games of the New York Gothams. At 44-28, they have more wins and fewer losses then all other FABL teams, allowing the fewest runs while scoring the third most in the Fed.
Surprisingly, it's been the back two in the rotation that have made a big difference, with the unproven Jerry Decker (7-5, 3.00, 39) and veteran Buddy Long (6-2, 3.00, 10) who share the team lead in ERA. Of course, neither is ace Ed Bowman, who is cementing himself as the toughest pitcher to best in the league. The likely 8-Time All-Star is on pace for a 26 win season, 13-2 with a 3.29 ERA (124 ERA+) and 1.26 WHIP in 17 starts. He's struck out 73 and walked just 13, and the team is 14-3 in his 17 starts. When he's on the mound, it's an almost guaranteed win, as the Gothams are able to provide him with plenty of runs. Walt Messer (.300, 19, 57) is a homer away from 20, George Cleaves (.327, 7, 38) doesn't look anything like a 36-year-old who has caught for fourteen seasons, and they've gotten so much support from the supporting cast that reigning Whitney Winner Red Johnson's (.251, 17, 48) uncharacteristic showing hasn't slowed themselves down in the slightest. Unless something changes, they could cruise to the finish line, awaiting whichever team survives what could be a brutal Continental pennant race.
Believe it or not the Montreal Saints are in first place in the Continental Association! Ring the bells in town, the miracle that everybody asked for more than a decade is happening. Only the old fellows in town can remember the last time the Saints were in a pennant race at the All-Star game.
After an awful April start, the Saints found the way to turn their season around, posting a 17-12 record in May, a 20-10 in June and still unbeaten after 3 games in July. Starting pitcher Wally Reif is back, after a disastrous 1949 season where everything was falling apart during what was the worst season in his career as he suffered through a 5-15 campaign with an abysmal 7.05 earned run average. Fear not, Saints supporters, as it looks like the Wally Reif who went 16-10 in 1948 is back. It is clear the extra work Reif put in over the winter to get back in shape has paid off. The 30-year-old is 8-6 with a sparkling 2.62 ERA. Even more impressive is that fact that Reif was just presented with the June pitcher of the month award for the CA and he is showing 4 shutouts already in 15 games starts. Reif has also gone the distance in 11 of his 15 starts this season after completing just 4 all of last year.
The 1950 Saints roster is almost the same as last season where they stayed close to front-running Cleveland until September, when they ran out of gas toward the end, leaving local ball fans talking about "What if?" That was new ground for a city that had spent most of the past two decades saying "What happened" or even worse, getting so frustrated as to not saying anything at all.
Oh, but that has changed this time around. Now the talks of town is "Is it the time? Is it the miracle year?"
Only two players were added since end of the last season. Veteran catcher Homer Guthrie was brought in from Pittsburgh to bring reliability behind the plate and help keep the pitchers settled, while also working on grooming his eventual replacement in highly touted catching prospect Jess Garman. At first glance Gutherie is not having a great season, batting just .208, but what is not measured in mere numbers is the positive example he sets for the 23-year-old Garman and the calmness he brings to the pitching staff.
Guthrie's work with Garman may just send the veteran to the bench quicker than expected. Garman has progressed to the point where he is outhitting Guthrie, earning more and more starts. That is not to say Guthrie has lost his value as the veteran brings the defensive skills to finish the game in Garman's place. Guthrie is responsible for the pitching squad's resurgence, being better at guiding them through a game with savvy pitch selection.
The only other newcomer is the musical chair in the outfield, where since the season start we have witnessed Zeke Johnson, Ed Whitney and now Jerry Richardson as backup outfielder. So far, Richardson is the one doing decent at bat and why he still there.
The question starting to be bandied about in the stands at Parc Cartier is one that management is also likely starting to consider. Does sitting in first place as we approach the all-star break mean the Saints will feel the need to make a move before trade deadline? That one is hard to guess. The Saints management has been preaching staying patient, and not making any drastic moves in the past. They have long said they believe in player development vs changing everything.
But that was the past and they were not in first place with dreams of a first pennant win in nearly thirty years. In the past, being so far back of top spot at the trade deadline, the message was "Stick to the long term plan." Has that changed now that they are in first place? Perhaps the message may change in the next few weeks. But even if they were deciding to make a move, which move it will be?
The conversation in the street on Rue Rachel East outside of Parc Cartier, and really all around the city of Montreal these days is sprinkled with hope. And that is something that has been absent from minds of Saints fans for far too long.
HACKBERRY LONE DYNAMO WORTHY OF ALL-STAR BALLOT
With all due respect to Dick Estes and the terrific breakout season he is enjoying, I am not quite enough of a 'homer' to pencil any Detroit Dynamos names beyond that of Edwin Hackberry on my ballot for the All-Star Game. The midseason contest, the 18th annual edition, makes its first stop at Gothams Stadium a week from tomorrow with the stars of the Federal Association looking to snap a four-year losing streak to the best of the Continental.
A year ago, the venue was Tice Memorial Stadium in Cincinnati and the host Continental stars squeaked out a 4-3 victory to take the series lead for the first time ever. The CA stars, thanks to those 4 straight wins, now lead the series 9 wins to 8. A year ago, Hackberry, who has quickly established himself at the age of 23 to be one of the best players in the sport, was the lone Detroiter to start the game but was accompanied to the Queen City by pitcher Carl Potter and second baseman Del Johnson, who were named as reserves.
Each year, writers who regularly cover the league are called on to cast an all-star ballot and here are my choices for the Federal Association starters along with some thoughts on the Dynamos campaign thus far at each position.
CATCHER: Adam Mullins had a slow start but has picked up his game for the Dynamos as the season progressed. Mullins has been selected to 11 all-star games, a number only surpassed by Bobby Barrell's 13, but it won't be 12 this year as the Chiefs' Pete Casstevens as well as the Cleaves boys, George in New York and young Roger in Philadelphia, are all more deserving. Roger just seems to get better every year and the 26-year-old Keystones star gets my vote as the starting catcher.
FIRST BASE: Another 26-year-old, Dick Estes, has done a wonderful job developing into the power hitting first baseman that the Dynamos so desperately needed. He is on pace for 35 homers and a career best batting average, and I would love to vote him to the all-star team, but I simply can't. I have to go with Tiny Hopkins, who at this writing already had 22 homers for the Chicago Chiefs and is the clear choice with Red Johnson having a down year, at least by his standards, in the Big Apple. Estes did make the team as a reserve in 1947 and he certainly deserves selection again this year.
SECOND BASE: Del Johnson is having a solid season for the Dynamos, but certainly off his peak of a couple of years ago. Even a non-peak version of Johnson is still a solid big league second baseman for the Thompson Field gang. As for the starter, it was a tough call between New York's Tom Jeffries and Buddy Schneider of Boston but in the end, I went with the Gothams second sacker.
SHORTSTOP: With all of the hype when he arrived in town at the tender age of 19, it is a mild surprise that Stan Kleminski has never been selected to play in the all-star game. The promise is still there, he is just 23 after all, but so far Kleminski has been a decent ballplayer but certainly not the dominating force we hoped for. His defense is still subpar, and he will never be mistaken for Harry Barrell with the glove, and in fairness were it not for Del Johnson I am sure Kleminski would be a second baseman by now. He is enjoying a productive season at the plate but is certainly not an all-star. Young Irv Clifford in Pittsburgh has impressed but my ballot will include the smooth fielding Boston Minutemen veteran Barrell at shortstop.
THIRD BASE: While his talent with the glove at the hot corner is unquestioned, Tommy Griffin has had some struggles at the plate this season and maybe in risk of losing his starting job to fast rising 21-year-old rookie Jim Gaiter, a hot shot former 3rd round pick who tore up AA to start the season and is now doing the same after a promotion to Toledo. My pick for the all-star game starting job goes to another former hot shot Detroit prospect. That would be Hard Boild Henry Koblenz, who was a 1935 Dynamos first round draft pick but dealt to the Keystones, for whom he has starred since, in 1938.
LEFT FIELD: Hard to believe that Dick Blaszak is the Dynamos starting left fielder after all the opportunities he has been given but failed to run with. The Polish Hammer is more like a crowbar now, the bullet he took in the shoulder will serving in the Pacific has robbed him of his power, but Blaszak has reinvented himself as a singles and doubles hitter who is scratching and clawing his way through the best half-season of what has been a very disappointing career to date. Certainly, nowhere near all-star standards of course, but it is good to see Blaszak finally proving something, although Detroit management will never live down the decision to trade the chance to draft Joe Stallings for Blaszak and another underachieving outfield prospect in Tommy Allenby, who is now failing to impress management in the Cincinnati Cannons organization.
As for my all-star starter. I certainly gave some consideration to Ben McCarty of the Boston Minutemen but there is simply no way to not select Washington Eagles star Jesse Alvardo, who gets my vote.
CENTER FIELD: There are a number of guys having good seasons. Names like Bill Burkett of Boston, Ernie Campbell in Pittsburgh, Charlie Enslow of the Keystones and the Eagles Rats McGonigle but it just feels like Dynamos star Hackberry is going to be a fixture in center for the Fed all-stars for most of the next decade. This will be the 23-year-old's fourth all-star game in as many full seasons in the Fed, and he has been incredibly consistent.
RIGHT FIELD: The Dynamos were excited to see what a college outfielder selected a year ago in the draft would do as a starter in the Detroit outfield. The thing is though, that outfielder was supposed to be first rounder Joe Fulgham, the football All-American from St Blane, not second round selection Bill Morrison. Morrison, a star at Grange College, hit the ground running in the spring and never slowed down. The 22-year-old is still growing into his game, but Dynamos skipper Dick York is very impressed with both Morrison's work ethic and his production. He looks like a player who will stick around for a while but holding down a starting job long term may be a challenge with Fulgham and several other young outfield prospects on the way.
Morrison likely won't be selected as a reserve for the all-star game. There is simply too much competition, but he may well give the Dynamos their fourth Kellogg Award winner in the five-year history of the top rookie award. As for the all-star starter in right field, Bobby Barrell is the sentimental choice, but we can't ignore what 40-year-old Rip Curry -yes the same Rip Curry the Dynamos thought was on his final legs when they moved him to Boston in 1946- has accomplished. Curry was batting over .400 at the time of this writeup and deserves to start the all-star game, an event he has only participated in once before and that was way back in 1935.
PITCHER: It is not hard to place the blame on what caused the terrible opening month of the campaign for the local nine. Dynamos starting pitchers as a group simply had just an awful start to the season and while they have turned around somewhat, they are performing far below expectations. Even Allan Award winner Carl Potter, who went 22-8 with a 1.97 era a year ago, has struggled. Potter is just 7-9 and his era is still respectable at 3.05 but a far cry from where it was. Detroit's pitching was the class of the Fed in 1949 but it has been so bad this year that waiver wire pickup Rusty Petrick (2-2, 3.66) is suddenly the Dynamos number two starter. It has been showing some signs of recent improvement, but a turnaround is essential if Detroit wants to mount a serious pennant push in the second half.
Potter was an obvious choice in my books a year ago for the All-Star pitching staff but Ed Bowman, the Gothams ace who started the game ahead of the local phenom last season, seems a lock to be on the hill for the first pitch at Gothams Stadium next Tuesday evening. Bowman is 11-2 with a 3.61 era and is the obvious choice for starting pitcher to complete my Federal Association ballot.
TALES FROM THE LAIR
Wolves Enter July At The Bottom OF CA -Toronto approaches the halfway mark of the 1950 season with decisions to make with regards to the roster. For a team that has been known for its starting rotation since prior to the war this season's effort from the starter's has been disappointing at the very least to the fans. Only one starter has a winning record: Joe Hancock is 7-3, 2.82, and his ERA is also the only one among the starters under 4.
As bad as the starters are the bullpen is a bigger minefield, probably the worst in the CA if not the entire FABL. Something has to change to give Fred Barrell a stable option to go to as the starter begins to tire. The team has just announced that Harry Stewart, 28, has been DFA with his roster being taken by Bob Currier who has toiled in the Wolves system for a decade since being drafted in the 12th round in 1940. Currier's numbers are good in Buffalo this season, maybe he can provide a spark to a beleaguered pitching staff. He will at least give the rapidly greying Barrell a different option to call on from the bullpen.
For a team that use to pride itself on pitching the system is devoid of viable options for the starting rotation in the system. Expect lots of movement over the next two months in the minors as the team tries to push players up the system for options going forward in the Fifties.
Fred Barrell must be surprised with the performance at the plate by his team. At start of the season, he was thinking that it would be a weak area of the team, to be successful the Wolves would have to have superior pitching coupled with defense. The pitching has discussed, the emergence of Harry Finney and Joe DeMott at the top of the order as capable FABL hitters has given the team an option to let younger players develop for another season at AAA. Problem with both Finney and DeMott is that their abilities in the field are lacking, and they are both below FABL average at their position. Barrell has to keep their bats in the lineup, and simply try to live with defense. Fred McCormick is beginning show signs of age, his replacement is now being groomed in Buffalo.
The feeling that this writer gets from the front office is that the team will keep prospects in the minors for remainder of the season dependent on trade deadline moves from Toronto. Toronto may be aggressive for the first time in recent memory at the deadline. They have a few veterans that may interest any teams chasing a pennant. It is no secret that the Wolves are seeking pitching preferably young but either at or ready for the FABL. Fans could be in for a few lean years but one is certain, 1950 will be the last summer for many veterans in a starting role in a Wolves uniform.
- Easy to tell why the Chicago Chiefs have gone from pennant winners to last place in the Federal Association. The Chiefs just can't win on the road, where they are 11-27 (.289) including suffering a 4-game sweep in New York at the hands of the first place Gothams last week.
- News from the Whitney Park crew is not all bad. Leland Kuenster of the Chicago Herald-Examiner has a front-row seat to the exploits of Ed Bloom and tells us the rookie is quickly establishing himself as a force at the plate. With time maybe he can add some muscle to that 6' frame and generate more power. but the hit tool is definitely there.
- Veteran Cincinnati outfielder Fred Galloway notched his 1,500th career hit last week.
- Boston rookie Yank Taylor, a second generation FABL player as the son of 1928 and 1929 CA Whitney Award winner Tom Taylor, made his big league debut last week and collected his first career hit. It was a double off of Pittsburgh's Clem Roth in his second start. A couple days later Yank enjoyed a 3-hit game but finished the week with a .200 batting average, going just 4-for-20.
- Injuries are starting to take their toll on the Minutemen as they slide down the standings after a strong start to the campaign. Rip Curry, owner of a .403 batting average this season is dealing with a back strain and now reliever Johnny Harry, who had 6 saves and a solid 2.53 earned run average out of the Boston pen, is bothered by a tender elbow and may be out until mid-August.
- Fun fact from Doc Shaw of the Boston Globe: The Minutemen rank 3rd in the FA in run diferential at +14 yet are still 7th place. Makes me think they still have a good shot at a 1st division finish when it is all said and done. Also, watch New York to start running away with things as they have a +68 run differential. If the old GM could see his former squad now. Patience was always the key with that group of players.
SAWYER SET FOR HISTORY MAKING TITLE DEFENSE
Tomorrow evening when Hector Sawyer steps into the squared circle set up in the middle of Gothams Stadium, it will make history. Fireworks will follow, it is July 4 after all, but Sawyer plans to unleash a few of his own on challenger Cannon Cooper. The bout will be the 16th defense Sawyer has made since winning the title from Jochen Schrotter over a decade ago. He will join 1920's welterweight king George Grainger as the only fighters to step into the ring as champion for 16 consecutive bouts.
Few give Cooper, a 30-year-old fight tactician hailing from Rockford, IL., a stones throw of a chance of dethroning the champ but that does not stop Cooper's camp from feeling optimistic. The challenger has certainly paid his dues, owning a 30-5-1 record that was tarnished slightly after his last outing when Cooper was a controversial loser on a split decision to another former victim of Sawyer in Dan Miller.
The ink was already dry on the contract for the title fight, prior to the upset loss and Chester Conley, who was in attendance in Youngstown, Ohio on that night, said he felt Cooper was deserving of "a much better fate." However, the fact that Conley has been actively trying to sell tickets to Tuesday's bout at the 50,000 seat baseball stadium may have played a role in how he saw the Cooper-Miller tussle.
Regardless, the champ -who turns 36 in 9 days- looks more than ready for this fight and at least one more when he eyes moving past Grainger and owning the record for consecutive title defenses all to himself. He is starting to show the signs of age, but so far at least, no younger fighter has been able to take advantage of the champ and the bookmakers are very much firmly planted in Sawyer's corner once more.
Here are the quarterly rankings of the top fighters in each weight class.
- In Glasgow, Scotland last Thursday, veteran heavyweight Pat Harber improved to 43-8-3 with a unanimous decision over James Woolescroft. Harber is best known for making a 1947 trip to Chicago, where he was outpointed by Hector Sawyer in a title fight.
- Saturday in Brooklyn Max Bradley, the pride of Camden, NJ, ran his record as a professional heavyweight to 18-1-1 with a 6th round knock out of Max Maxwell in their bout that was slated for 10.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- Jul 4- Gothams Stadium, New York: World heavyweight champion Hector Sawyer (63-3-1) defends his title against Cannon Cooper (30-5-1).
- Jul 4- Lewiston, ME.: Veteran heavyweight Roy Crawford (31-6) takes on young Pennsylvania native Ethan Thomas (16-1)
- Jul 4- St Louis Arena, St Louis, Mo: Heavyweight Scott Baker (23-4-3) faces Canadian Phil Easton (29-6-2)
- Jul 17- Bigsby Garden, New York: Middleweight Jim Ward (24-3) faces Tommy Campbell (23-4-2)
- Jul 18- Youngstown, OH: former middleweight champion Adrian Petrie (19-3-2) returns to the ring after a six month absence to face Bobby "The Texas Tornado" Price (24-6)
- Jul 25- Bigsby Garden, New York: Memphis Millard Shelton (28-5) faces Rip Rogers (23-3) in a middleweight bout.
- Jul 22- Richmond, VA: John Jones (17-0-1), 21-year-old Philadelphia born heavyweight meets Barry Scott (20-6).
- Jul 30- Bigsby Garden, New York: English welterweight Danny Julian (28-1-1) makes his second North American appearances as he faces George "Mr. Sandman" Gibbs (27-5).
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 7/02/1950
- Invading North Korean Communists have reached the outskirts of Seoul and began to broadcast a demand for South Korea's surrender. President Truman declared that the United States will "vigorously support" the UN Security Council which has called on the North Koreans to "cease hostilities.
- A Republican Senator in a speech on the floor declared that the United States has two options: Either continue to surrender to the Russian advances or "call Communism's bluff." He advocated the latter policy with respect to Korea.
- A day later the President ordered American air and sea forces to the assistance of South Korea, while also swinging into action on Formosa, seat of the exiled Chinese National government, and to the Philippines to further strengthen military assistance to that country's government. The President says he took action because "the attack upon Korea makes it plain beyond all doubt that communism has passed beyond the use of subversion to conquer independent nations and will now use armed invasion and war."
- Prime Minister Attlee announced that Britain has agreed to place its naval forces in Japanese waters at the disposal of the US to support American action in Korea.
- Secretary of State Acheson declared that the battle for South Korea will be a test of whether the United Nations is going to survive, while emphasizing that American action in Korea is in support of UN efforts to restore peace in the area.
- By week's end US ground forces had arrived in South Korea as the President ordered a naval blockade of the entire Korean coast and authorized bombing north of the 38th parallel. The Army says presently there are 123,000 soldiers in the Far East.
- 200,000 Chinese Reds in Manchuria, have moved to the North Korea border in movement sources say was made at the specific order of the Soviet Union.
- The Stock Market held steady Friday after a burst of selling early in the week touched off by the President's order to use ground troops in Korea.