AMERICAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE, INC.
120 WALL STREET, NEW YORK

JOHN J, O'BRIEN

PRESIDENT March 26, 1943

Dr. Forrest C. Allen,
Kansas University,
Lawrence, Kansas.

My dear Dr. Allen:

I have the release from the K. U. Sports News Bureau as to the
formation of a professional basketball league of countrywide dimensions
following the close of the World War.

The American Basketball League has been in operation since 1925,
For the first five years of its existence the scope of its activities
extended from Boston to Chicago. Since 1931 we have confined our efforts
to the Atlantic seacoast. It may seem strange to you to learn that in the
principal Eastern cities few auditoriums are available without having recourse
to the large armory buildings and this is particularly true in cities like
New York and Brooklyn. Restrictions have been placed thereon by wartime
measures for the past three years, making impossible the development of
the professional game to the proportions that have become nationally
prominent in Madison Square Garden. However, we believe that at the close
of the war a number of these restrictions will be removed and at the present
time we are studying the possible enlargement of our professional league
to operate two divisions extending from Boston to as far west as Kansas City
and St. Louis. In your section of the country you are fortunately placed
in that practically every city of prominence has an auditorium or convention
hall desirable for the proper presentation of big-time basketball.

I also might advise you during the period of our existence we have
never permitted college players to play under assumed names at any time,
nor have we permitted college players to appear in any of our games until
they completed their collegiate competition as seniors. Several college
players of prominence have appeared under the last mentioned arrangement
following the termination of their college course and in view of their not
being candidates for track or baseball competition.

Your comments are of considerable value and you may be assured of
our interest in learning of anything more you have to advance on this subject.

Yours very truly,

; :
So Presidént

JJO'B*S