New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-22

T'TsIT7T 'F'-I
HIS RECOMMENDATIONS MERELY SUGGESTIONS
THE ATHLETIC COMMITTEE WILL con
CUR IL FEW OF THEM

CUR ~ FEW OF THEM.
poston Feb 2l-The feeling at Cambridge In re-
card 10 President Elots report athletics is one
Of surprise rather than consternatlon In the first
place the Impression that football has been
abolished or that Harvard is hcnceforth to be gov
erncd 10y the recommendations as set forth. In the
annual report. Is entirely Incorrect. The reforms
are merely suggestions made TO the Board Of
Ovcrsccrs by the president OF the university. II
is entirely erroneous to suppose that they VIII be
adopted. Some years ago the president ana Eel
lows vested all power for the regulation OF athletics
I'm a committee the regulation OF athletic
SHORTS" consisting Of faculty members, graduates
and undergraduates. While this committee exists
nothiug can bc done by the oversecrs In regard to
athletics without n radical breach or trust This
committee IL not I'm favor OF all OF President
Ellors reforms; consequently there Is no I'M
mediate danger to sports on account or tho presl-
dents suggestions.
The consensus Of the opinions Of leading college
athletes is that there are not more than two OF
the SIX recommendations of President Eliot which
stand "A reasonable chance of being put into opera
ton now or later. without notification His first
subsection. that there should be no freshman In
torcollcriatc matches or races" would not do
what it is intended to do. II would simply mean
death to freshman sports. and the extinction of
freshman teams as training schools for Varsity
players. The recommendation. however may be
made within a year that no freshman shall play
"A VARSITY team lUtI' ~ d Sll'llS Stuu'ul
feeling ia favor such restriction ana II Is well
Thought of by the Athletic COMMITTEES. obviously.
however. no such restriction could fairly be forced
upon Harvard without the cooperation or Yale.
1t is not "A remote possibility that the two uni
ycrsitics VIII come to an agreement on thl5 point
keep up and even strengthen the custom OF fresh
man intercollegiate contests. anu leave the varsity
teams the three upper classes
The policy of the Athletic Committee however Is
opposed at present to the third recommendation.
"inat no professional student should take part IN
any intercollegiate contests The general ten
dcncy. however. IS In this direction that Is TO say.
the new regulation reduces athletics. to n great
extent, to an undergraduate basis. 1t IL only
question OF a few years before all the professional
schools Will require Of a regular student Il Dache-
lOrs degree. and when that time arrives. the Ath-
letc Committee Will fee! that II can in Justice
t. all OF the university. limit the eligibility
OF players 10 undergraduates. AS present re-
form, however. IL Is quite unnecessary FOR the
evils OF the old system have been done away with
by the new rules.
The last suggestion that intercollegiate con-
tests In any sport should not take place oftener
than every other year" Is the one which seems
the most lFnpractcabe. and which casts the great
est prejudice on the report as a whole.
tharle5 francis Adams. one OF the overseers
SAID today; These are simply tentative sugges-
.ohS Irotered by President Eliot for the considera
tloh OF the oyersecrs. The president has the n-
PRESTON anu. | have no doubt correctly. that the
~ coueglate athletics have engrossed the time
" .n' I.eh IN college 10 too great an extent with
''"'' '"'n "1ins ysry large share ana NM