The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-11-24
FOR CLEAN AND
MANLY FOOTBALL
President Roosevelt Takes Time to
Discuss the Matter.
WANTS The GAME CONTINUED
brutality and Foul Play should Re
ceisc the same Punishment as
Cheating at Cards or striking
Foul In boxing.

a A'+NAAN lHAtlAt NV Ill - W AAA-
am White. professor OF surgery at the
University of Pennsylvania and mem
Der OF the university committee on
athletics. has returned from Washing
ton, where he had been summoned by
President Roosevelt to discuss matters
relating TO football. In an interview,
DR. White said:
The president did ne the honor of
asking me TO lunch with him at the
White House for the purpose OF dis
oussing with him the situation as 10
American football An article OF mine
published in last weeks outlook was
the occasion Of the invitation.
scope of the Discussion.
As 10 what took place during my
visit, the president has permitted me to
say that We are in complete accord as
10 the need of the permanent abolition
Of brutality and foul play; OF the in
crease of the powers of the officials.
and Of the severity Of the penalties as
being necessary To bring about such
abolition; as to the desirability OF care
ful consideration of any changes in
The rules that may be required TO mini
mize danger while preserving the es-
sential, manly and vigorous character
istics Of the game. and as to the urg-
ent need Of earnest effort to secure a
simple and uniform eligibility code for
all American colleges and universities.
The president said he emphatically be-
i.eves in continuing the game
Brutality should be Punished.
The president added: Brutality and
foul play should receive the same pun
ishment given to a man who cheats at
cards, who strikes a foul blow in box
ing The umpire must have the wild
est latitude in enforcing this principle.
even to the extent Of ordering not only
individual players, but whole teams of
the fell, and college presidents should
hold TO the sharpest accountability the
umpire who permits foul or brutal
football In any game We want simple
rules not complicated rules. because
complicated rules offer too many loop
holes
A GentIeman's Agreement.
The responsible authorities of the
several colleges whose teams play to-
sether should have what may hc called
4 gentleman's agreement among them
selves that these rules should be en-
forced liz spirit as well as in letter,
each being responsible for what goes
on in their own colleges. and each see
ing 10 the permanent removal from the !
game not only Of the foul or brutal |
player. hut OF the man who is not a |
bona fide student and amateur. Il /
would be a real misfortune to lose so /
manly aud vigorous game as football, /
and TO avert such a possibility, the \
college authorities in each college /
should see 10 it that thc game in that
college is clean.
The President Explained.
The president explained to me the
selection Of the institutions that came
10 the White House last month by say
ing
1 was asked to call II by represen-
and | called IL accordingly II Penn
syivania, Columbia and Cornell repre-,
sentatives happened to make the sug-
gestion. then only those three colleges
would have been asked
Desires the Game Continued.
He spoke more than once Of the de-
Of continuing the game and
Of extending TO as many as possible It's
advantages with the safeguards al
ready mentioned He said that five or
six leading colleges should get together
and agree TO play one another under
such agreement as he prescribed lie
also spoke of the far greater relative
danger Of other sports and pastimes.
some Of which he enumerated He
showed Enthusiastically keen interest
in and thorough acquaintance with the
whole subject