Sport: Happy Compromise

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Since the death of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis last November, baseball's big-league club owners had fumbled the question of naming a new commissioner. Some insisted that a successor should be named at once; others wanted to wait, perhaps until after the war. One sure thing was that no one wanted another Landis.

Last week, the 16 club owners finally met in Cleveland—to pick a commissioner if possible. The three top candidates were Jim Farley, who would rather own a ball club than be President; Ford Frick, capable president of the National League; Bob Hannegan, Democratic National

Chairman. When one after another failed to muster a majority, it looked as though the meeting would wash out with a rain check. But the Yankees' new boss, irrepressible Larry MacPhail, demanded action, and threatened to "lock the door and keep it locked" until a new commissioner was named.

After five hours of cigar smoke over half a dozen other names, the big league moguls got together on a compromise.

Their surprise choice for the $50,000-a-year, seven-year job: Senator Albert ("Happy") Chandler.

The one thing they were all sure of was that Happy Chandler was no dictatorial Landis. Popular, back-slapping Happy Chandler had enough of a name to be a good front man. What else he might bring to the job, and what else the owners wanted, remained to be seen.