New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-10
PRESIDENT AIDS SPORT.
CONFERS WITH TRAINERS.
Football Brutality and Professional
ism Discussed at White House.
[From The rrIbune Rrean-


Washington. Oct. ga conference for the bet
terment Of college athletics was held at the
White House this afternoon President Roose-
welt presided and Secretary Root and the
coaches of the Yale, Harvard and Princeton
teams took part in the important discussion.
The conference began before luncheon, contin-
ued during the repast and lasted until nearly
O'Clock. when the Presidents guests departed to
take train for New-York.
A number of radical changes in the rules gov
erning the national autumn game may result
from the consultation Wanton brutality, which,
unfortunately, seems to be the increase in
the great college games is to be punished il
means can be found to reach the perpetrators;
professionalism is to be summarily dealt with,
and determined effort will be made to uplift
the plane of college sports, whether on the grid
iron, the diamond the cinder path or the water
When the President visited Harvard last June
he delivered warning against the growing list
of evils that seems to be menacng decent ath-
leties in universities He said
1 believe heartily in sport. believe In OUT
door games, and / do not mind III the least that
they are rough games or that those who take
part In them occasionally injured. I have
no sympathy whatever with the overwrought
SenIImentalItY which would keep young man
in cotton WOOL and have hearty contempt
for him If he counts broken arm collar
bone as of serious consequence when balanced
against the chance of showing that he possess
hardihood, physical address and courage. But
when these injuries inflicted by others, either
wantonly or of set design. we confronted by
the question no. of damage to one mans body,
but of damage to the other mans character
Brutality in playing any game should awaken
the heartiest and most plainly shown contempt
for the players guilty of it. especially IL this bru
tality is coupled with a low cunning, in commit
ting it without getting caught by the umpire
1 hope to see both graduate and Undergrad
uate opinion ccme to scorn such man as one
guilty of base and dishonorable action, who has
no nj n 10 nj -rnrfQ fQhf
men.
On the subject of professionalism in the same
speech, he said:
Finally. it is a much worse thing to permit
college sport to become in any shape or way
tainted by professionalism. or by so much as
the slightest suspicion OF money making, and
this is especially true If the professionalism is
furtive, if boy or man violates the spirit Of
the rule while striving to keep within the letter.
Professional sport is al right IN It's way am
glad to say that among my friends l number
professional boxers and wrestlers, oarsnen and
baseball men, whose regard 1 value, and whom,
in turn. I regard thoroughly good citizens.
But the college undergraduate who in furtive
fashion becomes a mi-profeSsional, is an un-
mitgated curse, and that not alone TO uni
versity life and to the cause of amateur sports,
for the college graduate ought in after years to
take a lead in putting the business morality of
this country on proper plane, and he cannot
do ii IL in his own college career his code of con-
duet has been warped and twisted.
During the Presidents vacation at Oyster
Bay he carried on some correspondence with the
athletic Managers of the universities. and in
vited number of them TO visit him at the
White House when he returned to Washington,
to take up the possible betterment of sport. To-
day was the time set by the President for the
consultation, and he invited Secretary Root to
take part in the discussion Those present at
the conference were Walter c. Camp, general
athletic adviser of Yale; Jack Owsley head foot
ball and baseball coach; William C. Reid. tr.,
Harvard football and baseball coach; Doc
Hildebrand who acts in the same capacity for
Princeton, and Dr. E. H Nichols and John B.
Fine prominently identified with college sports.
During the luncheon, 1T is understood, the sub
1ect of the army and navy football game was
brought up and several OF the guests suggested
that the contest ought to be brought to Wash
ington Princeton Field, the proposed meeting
place for this year, is declared by some experts
to be too small to accommodate the throngs.
The great ellipse planned for the White House,
it is believed by some, would make an ideal am
phitheatre.