Record is Clean
Bethlehem’s soccer team kept its record clean in competition against the Hakoah All-Stars this season and it will be many days before fans are privileged to witness another game as brilliantly played as the two-goal draw on the home field on Saturday afternoon. Sweeping through the cup tie series to win in decisive manner, Hakoah, national champions, met their Waterloo in the home team when checked in their triumphant march. The game was the sixth meeting of these two teams in league competition this year, not one of which has been won by the title holders. Four games resulted in victories for Bethlehem and in the other two the points were shared by draw results. If the schedule is completed two more league games are on tap and then the round robin series for the league championship in which Bethlehem has an excellent opportunity of again meeting Hakoah.

Cahill on the Scene
Among the many soccer devotees who journeyed here from distant points to see Hakoah and Bethlehem battle it out in their league engagement was Thomas Cahill, secretary of the United States Football Association. It was one of Tom’s periodical visits to Bethlehem and while he usually waxes hot on matters of association affairs, the game was the luring attraction for this visit. Only casually did he remark on the soccer warfare and gleaned from these utterances it would seem that the controversy will shortly reach an amicable adjustment. Commenting on the game Tome endorsed the opinion of many other visitors and that was of having seen one of the finest games of soccer every played in the country. And judging from the enthusiasm of “all those present” that assertion was not in the least exaggerated.

Mr. Agar Declares Himself
Nat Agar, of Brooklyn, gives his side of the soccer war with the following statement which appeared in a Philadelphia newspaper: “Although avers to adding to the already long list of wordy explanations and utterances in connection with the soccer war which has so greatly disgusted soccer fans and which has done the game such irreparable harm, I feel that the last statement given out by Mr. Patterson, president of the U. S. F. A., in which my name was so prominently mentioned, calls for a brief answer. It is entirely untrue that the American Soccer League owners refused to meet Mr. Patterson. They advised him through Mr. Marks that they were wiling to meet him at his convenience, but he never arranged such a meeting. Instead, he attempted to wean the New York Nationals away from the league, but was advised by Mr. Stoneham that the Nationals would remain loyal to the league and would insist on a fair and equal deal for all the club owners. Mr. Patterson’s remarks about myself are hardly borne out by the facts. When the U. S. F. A. demanded my head as one of its peace terms I asked the league secretary to call a league meeting and at that meeting I released all the club owners from their agreement to stick together and told them not to consider my situation if they felt that their own interest required them to accept terms offered. The fact that all the club owners reiterated their intention to stick together as a unit reflects the highest credit on them and was in no way influenced by any action on my part. It is also entirely untrue that the U. S. F. A. was unwillingly drawn into the controversy. On the contrary, they injected themselves into the matter without authorization of rules. While the real issue in the controversy has been obscured by personal attacks and by camouflage, the fact remains that throughout the war and at great loss to the club owners the American Soccer League has continued to give the public real professional exhibitions played between well-matched professional elevens.

Another Chapter
One can hardly believe that it is the American Soccer League making overtures for settlement when in the earlier chapters of the disruption it was this same circuit that was antagonistic to the parent organization and threatened to put it out of business. At least that was the plan but that as well as injunctions, efforts to wreck Eastern League clubs by poaching, etc., counted for naught. If Mr. Agar was the agitator and one of the prime movers of all the disruption the association is probably justified in demanding his head as one of the peace terms and the price is not too high. If the parent body is to be respected in the future it cannot relent in its attitude. TO do so would be folly. The American Soccer League clubs may have suffered financially but while their losses were being inscribed in red it is admitted that some of the Eastern League teams were not rolling in wealth. However, the lawful loop with the support of the National body is better fortified to weather the storm.