\

November 6, 1944.

lir. Ben Gould,
The Brooklyn Eagle,
Brooklyn 1, New York.

Dear Mr. Gould:

I am sorry that I have been unable to get to your letter
sooner. .

Answering your questions: Why is a commissioner necessary?
I believe that I have said enough here lately in the press to state my
_ position; namely, that organized baseball was subjected to the gambling
racket in such a way that it caused a national scandal and a lack of confi-
dence in the sport until Judge Landis took over. ;

I have no one in mind, but I would suggest that the only
way to do this is for the American Association of University Presidents
to ask the President of thw United States to nominate a man and the presi-
dents would elect him. As I have stated, he would be selected by the
University Presidents and his term would be for life, like Judge Landis,
and his salary would be at least $75,000 or more. ‘This would be a small
sum for the colleges to pay because they could pay on the pro rata basis
of the student population.

His powers would be absolute, as with Judge Landis, and
there would be no "may" about it - he "shall" enforce the rules. His
duties would be to set up a national organigation, and his assistant oom-
missioners like Griffith, Bushnell, St. Clair and Peters would be in the
same relationship as the bank examiners are under the chief bank examiner.
The czar would set out the rules for them to observe and there would be no
alternative. His functions would be similar to those of Judge Landis.

You ask what good this would do. It would do the only
real good that has evernbeen done to college athletios as far as adminis-
tration is concerned. At the present time we have faculty members making
the rules and administering them, and allowing the athletio director to
be only a business agent because he neither makes the laws nor enforces them.

You ask how he would compare in scope to Landis or Layden.
I am taking as my pattern Landis and not Layden. The man of necessity must
be a lawyer because he would have to understand court procedure, and a man