The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-05-08
IN FAVOR OF FOOTBALL,
AND As TEE GAME rs vow PLATED.
WITH ONLY A FEW cHlssEa

| The Usiversi,y CIus's Co-uittss e. the
Rsvisisr OF the Rates VIII Have = Finsi
| Meeting To-day-wsst Old Player. Have
20 SAY About the sport-Cordition OF the
erousd Has n Grea, Deal TO DO vita
IrIuriss-Col. Ernst OF west Potnt Talks.
The committee OF the University Club hav-
Ing in charge the revision Of playing rules OF the
Intercollegiate Football Association will have
Its final meeting In this city to-day. The re-
suit Of that meeting will be largely Influenced
by work done BY one OF its members. Walter
Camp OF Yale. Since last November Mr.. Camp
has been acting as Chairman OF another COM
mittee. the purpose OF which has been to thor
oughly investigate the effect OF football rs
played at present. with reference to the alleged
brutality OF the game. the injuries received BY
those who have participated In II. and the al
legged detrlme nt to the sch olarship OF the play
ers Incidentally the matter OF the expenses
incurred In preparing the great teams has also
been looked into. This investigating commit
tee Is no part OF the regular committee. but
had its inception in the Board Of oversesrs OF
Harvard University. NJ. Croker Of that Board
first asked for the Investigation. and the Board.
acting through Robert Bacon Of Harvard. set
the ball rolling. Walter Camp was appealed
to. and then IL was learned for the first time
that he had already form ulated q plan Of q Sim
liar Investigation.
A committee was selected consisting OF the
following as representative OF the American
colleges where football is played with the
most success and greatest progress: judge
Henry L. Rowland OF Yale. J. W. Alexander OF
Princeton. the Rev. DR.. Joseph Twitchell OF
Yale. Robert Bacon OF Harvard. Walter Camp
OF Yale. Provost Pepper OF the University OF
Pennsylvania. and the Rev Edincott Peabody
OF the Groton School
As Chairman OF this com mittee. Mr.. Camp
arranged a plan Of inquiry much like that
pursued by DR.. Morgan in England several
years ago. when he Investigated the status OF
the rowing men OF ambridge and oxford In
Sy DR.. %iillsm White o. PhiisdeipSis. Prof. ].
p hmes OF Harvard Proi. T. l. richards OF
fsS M H Ep' Bs ss' r Mat
dsiphls. and Or. LOveiand OF Wesleyan:
At FIRST the names and addresses of every
Princeton football team since 1875 when the
Rugby game. was introduced including all the
About ], 200 names and addresses were Sc.
cured. To all circular letters were sent ac-
asking the following questions:
rir.,,,gow many year. both in school and college,
s.cond-N6St was the most serious injury you ever
received on the reid'
foaIthn1T..i Il :.s.y.d in pr.stics or IL game, =,
flttn-Dlu you COnhusr IN EoOu conultion AZ
sstheDo you consider tn. general effect of the sport
upon You. physically and mentally. good or bad'
To the principal preparatory schools were
sent a similar set of questions. which were
answered by the boys playing on football
teams These questions were:
ssssn9@whas y. III: mos. .sTSu. injaGy you ever
received on the neld'
T1Iranw w . Ps.msnssi T. ,,,,,,
In addition to those questions the head mas
ter OF the school was asked to answer the fol-
lowing:
you consider the general effect Of III. sport
you .Sn ,hs eject of
:. In In pSns OF Of s sssGIsT.siD'
c. In point OF physical Development
Questions were also sent to players OF the
University OF Pennsy vania who have been
the intercollegiate association. Special let
tters were sent 70 the captains OF every Yale
ing the facts regarding any man who had
Leen taken from tho field during any big game
tent Ten q tho our esss
ties and preparatory schools were asked the
81 ss ;h nd ne %
Mr. Camp has received about l. 100 answers
to his letters The players are unanimous In
favor Of the game as It is played, The replies
frem the faculties Of the universities and pre-
than was expected. and upheld the beneGcia
results OF the game. physically and mentally.
portion o. permanent injuries is exceedingly
small. that Injuries are for the most part o.
very prominent in the answers il is. that
sprained ankles are more often acquired from
the condition OF the ground than from the con-
The COMMITTEES viii therefore recommend
that in future no game be played until the
In his report. which is lengthy and discusses |
the peculiar conditions at West Point. Col. |
Ernst states that football Is not to
ing about a kindlier feeling between the onfi-
to discipline. As to its dangers and jeopardy |
to life and limb Col Ernst says the game Ia |
not On ore dangerous than is horseback riding |
or coasttng. Figures are given showing that |
during the football ason more cadets were |
football
Tho game between the cadets at Annapolis !
large and emphatic No, as being a dangerous |
departure from the traditions OF West Point. |
More W0rs IL done e, ,hs tn"n
country. but to allow thirty cadets to 20 on and |
play football gives shock TO the curriculum
OF absence for so trivial n matter as tho mar
rage OF a cousin or sister, Col; Ernst. how
tho cadets at the Military Academy, and says
frankly n conclusion that the game Is bench
The head master on Of the BE BsrEelsy sehool In
New York, after speaking in the highest terms
Of football concludes by saying
game Possibly mY own enthusiasm has over
have no. appended comments until after con-
sultation with those who. had rnason to be-
iieye ToIih os vsry M NJ invs.tro
ton will be furnished to tho Board OF Harvard
Oyersesrs during the summer and comparl-
sons will be- made with the results obtained by
DIR. Morgan's Investigation of the rowing men
1t Oxford and ambridge.