New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-16
ON THE GRIDIR0N.
Significance of the Conference Called
by President RoOSeUeH.

PRESIDENT RooSeVeItS now Famous cOnIercnCe
of last week with Messrs, Camp, Reid. Fine and
others of our football rulers TO the end that
something should be done TO reform the rules Of
the sport in the interest OF the elimination, so
far as possible, of unnecessarily rough play,
shows, as has been intimated strongly in this
column, that thinking people who have the
prosperity of the game at heart are not disposed
to accept as final The decision of the rules COM
mittee not to yield to the demand for reform
II is true that there have been this season
though it is yet so young-some particularly
fortunate examples Of rough play, which practi-
caIly resolved into fighting. and that the game
should not be blamed for the fact that some of
the men who play it unable to control tenn
pers under the stress of momentary excitement
Such exhibitions, for example. as were given by.
the Columbia and Wesleyan players a week ago
Saturday, or as the game last Saturday between
Trinity and New-YOrk University, do more TO
harm the sport than almost all other causes put
together. Just what went on at the conference
at the White House is known only TO the par
Elephants. and thus far they have closely guarded
the secret Il must be confessed, however, that
the statement which few days later they saw
Mt 10 issue offers a striking opportunity to the
severest critics Of the game. In this statement
the coaches who were present at the talk With
Mr.. Roosevelt pledge themselves to do all that
they can to insure the observance of the rules
intended to preserve the discipline Of the game
It will surely be said-in fact, has already been
said-that the fact that the ruling powers of the
game should find il necessary to give such a
public pledge as this sheds an unpleasant tlu-
wade the players and the sport.
However, no matter IL the critics of the game
are thus supplied with ammunition The more
and the severer the critics the better for the
game if the criticisms are needed and the
wheat of them sifted from the chaF It is diff
ficUlt. however, TOO see how such advice as Mr.
RooseveIt's, excellent as it IS. can be of any
great service. The root OF the matter lies deep
than the mere neglect to enforce the rules
True it is that the penalties for unnecessary
roughness have long been tnsufHcienty en-
forced. and yet it is often difficult for an UNI
pire, no matter how conscientious and fearless
he may be- 10 draw the line between the unnec-
essary and the necessary, and il IS the usual
practice to give the offending player the benefit
Of the doubt. in order not to cripple his side by
depriving it of his usefulness. There is how
ever. one thing that be done. Players who
allow themselves TO be drawn into open fight
ing outside of a scrimmage who openly as
saUlt another player can be promptly removed
from the game then in progress. That is the
limit of the umpires power. But faculties have
more power than that. It is. for example with
in the power Of the Wesleyan faculty to take
away his uniform from the player who dis
graced that university in the game with ~Colum-
bia. man who has no more control over his
temper than this one is unfit for football, no
matter how able he may be, and is a menace TO
the sport Even the most devoted admirers Of
football must confess that faculties have been
far too long subservient to coaches Let them
exert their undisputed power. Let their arms
be long and their hands heavy upon the Of
fender.
There seems to be on exhibition some evidence
that the academic authorities are beginning to
realize the responsibility in this line and to dis
charge il. Temporarily, this activity on the part
of the faculty athletic authorities is often dis
astrous TO the prospects of team, but in the
end the sport will be the gamer Down at Phil
adolphia for example the action of the dean of
the Law School in repeatedly refusing registra-
ton 10 Captain Reynolds, of Pennsylvania
eleven will result in the loss Of one of the most
valuable members of the team. But official
would thus persist without the best of grounds
for his action and though the team may be
weaker on the field it will be stronger in the
estimation of every one who has the good of the
sport at heart Columbia has been even a
heavier loser than Pennsylvania In the loss of
Captain Thorpe, Carter and Starbuck, the New
Workers. have probably suffered more from the
authority of the faculty than any Eastern team
this year Thorpe was probably the most yalu-
able man on last years eleven, and though his
loss was not entirely unexpected, ne viii De Il
hard man 10 replace at tackle, probably as diff
cult a man to replace as big Zeigler, the guard
on whom PENNSYLVANIA was depending 10 replace
Piekarsh and who is laid up with typhoid fever.
However. Columbia now knows exactly where
she stands. There will be no more delay in
forming the personnel of the team in the hope
that these three men might escape from tHe
faculty ban Certainty. no matter how unpeas-
ant is better than uncertainty IN such a matter.
and Saturdays game with Williams indicates
that at last the Morningside players are be-
ginning TO be licked into something resembling
an eleven
Affairs at Harvard appear to be as yet in a
rather muddled condition On Saturday Har-
ward met the Springfield Training School, the
same team that Yale defeated decisively on
Wednesday. and the Crimson barely emerged
with a - % 0 victory. The Harvard players
appeared to have little idea Of team work, nor
the individual play at all TO be commended.
The entire team seemed 10 be tnnoculated with
the furabIine nnicrobe. and the ball was seldom