The state herald., 1905-11-24
ROUGH FOOTBALL
PRESIDENT DISCUSSES SUBJECT
WITH COLLEGE PROFESSOR.
WOULD ABOLISH BRUTALITY
Wants Game Continued, With Foul
Play EIimlnated-coIIeaes Should
Have GentIeman's Agreement to
Enforce the Rules.

Enforce the Rules.
Philadelphia. a.-Dr. J. William White,
professor of surgery at the University
of Pennsylvania, and member of the
committee on athletics, has returned
from Washington, where he had been
summoned to discuss with the Presl-
dent matters relating to football. DR..
White said:
'Ihe President did me the honor of
asking me to lunch with him at the
White House for the purpose of dis
cussing with him the situation as to
American football. An article of mine
published in last weeks Outlook was
the occasion of the invitation. AS to
what took place during my visit, the
President has permitted me to say that
we are in complete accord as to the
need Of the permanent abolishment of
brutality and foul play of the increase
of the powers of the officials and of
the severity of the penalties as being
necessary TO bring about such aboli-
tion; as to the desirability of careful
consideration of any changes in the
rules that may be required to minimize
danger while preserving the essential,
manly and vigorous characteristics of
the game. and as to the urgent need of
earnest effort to secure a simple and
uniform eligibility code for all Ameri-
can colleges and universities. the
President said he 'emphatically be-
lieves in continuing the game
"'rhe president added: Brutality and
foul play should receive the same sum.
mary punishment given to a man who
cheats at cards. who strikes a foul
blow In boxing. The umpire must have
the widest latitude in enforcing this
principle, even to the extent of order
ing not only individual players, but
whole teams of the field, 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 loopholes. The responsible
authorities of the several colleges
whose teams play together should have
what may be called a gentleman's
agreement among themselves that
these rules shall be enforced in spirit
as well as in letter. each being held
responsible for what goes on in his
oWH Coilest anu edcH seeing 10 tnt
permanent removal from the game not
only of the foul and brutal player, but
of the man who is not bona fide stu.
dent and amateur. II would be real
misfortune to lose so manly and vigor.
Gus a game as football. and to avert
such Il possibility the college authori-
ties in each college should see TO IT
that the fame in that college Is clean.
THE President spoke more than
once of the desirability of continuing
the game and Of extending TO as many
as possible its advantages. with the safe.
guard already mentioned. He said that
the five or six leading colleges should
get together and agree to play one
another under such an agreement as he
prescribed. He also spoke of the far
greater relative danger of many other
sports and pastimes. some of which
he enumerated. He showed charac.
teristically keen interest In and thor
ough acquaintance with the whole
subject"