BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3138, 15 March 1909, Page 5

BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP.

JOHNSON v. JEFFRIES. PROSPECT OF A MATCH. Received March 14 4.30 p.m. NEW YORK, March 13. Mr Hugh Mcintosh, the promoter of the Burns-Johnson boxing contest, interviewed in New York, said that if Jeffries can get into shape he will meet Jack Johnson. Mr Mcintosh thought that he could arrange for the contest to take place either in England or France. If he could not make the arrangement he would take the combatants to Australia.

Jeffries, writing in the San Francisco ''Examiner," of January 26th, said:—"After my experience of the past ten days I am led to believe that the gloves are more popular with the public than ever before. It may, of course, be possible that the fact that Jack Johnson, a negro, holds the heavyweight championship of the world for the first time in the history of the ring is rebponsible for the Queensnerry revival. Be that as it may, I have heard more fight talk here in. San Francisco since I have been here than I heard for the last six months. Everybody and his neighbour appear to believe that it is still their honourable duty to ask me if "I am going to fight again. I am still dishing out the same answer that I have been giving for years. If lamto be put thro-gh this sort of cross-examination much longer I will have a few thousand cards struck off with the single word "NO." printed on them. Thi3 wiU save me a lot of talk. Mr W. W. Naughton and other experts have been kind enough to place themselves on record as saying that I have nothing to fear from Jack Johnson. That just about expresses my sentiments. I don't fear the negro or any other human being who walks on two feet, When I was in San Francsico last summer, to officiate as referee in the Attell-Moran feathsrweight contest, everybody was criticising Tommy Burns because the Canuck would not fight Jack Johnson. "Why don't Burns give Johnson a chance?" they would howl. "Burns has been licking a lot of dubs, and is afraid to tackle a man who would have an hinest chance with him." Now these fellows are howling longer and louder than ever. "This man Burns is a disgrace to the ring," they say. "He should never have crossed the colour line. Had he refused to meet Johnson the white people woiild never have been disgraced by having a negro as the heavyweight champion." I am wondering day after day what my fate would be were Ito meet Jack Johnson and be defeated. The sporting world is crying at me now to go in and fight the negro. In some instances the criticism hurled at me is not of the kindliest nature. I get letters calling me a coward and all that sort of rubbish. I pay no attention to them—l have Burns ex- | ample in front of me."