The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-14

Harvard after the latter had insulted
the Red and Blue by sending a postal
card to decline a football game, is
being upheld by all fair minded critics.
The New York Sun, in discussing the
affair, says:
1T is interesting to note the very
latest unpleasantness between the
Quakers and Harvard. 1t was an
nOunced that Pennsylvania had decided
rather than to meet Harvard in bask-
ct ball to forfeit two games in the in
tercollegiate schedule in which the
Pennsylvania five are supposed to
meet the Crimson. If this is to 20
further and to apply to the other min
or sports the various intercollegiate as
sociations in swimming, gymnastics,
wrestling and the like will have a
dreadful time. Their schedule will be
torn to pieces by the militant Quakers.
zone cannot help but admire the
consistently vindictive policy of the
University of Pennsylvania athletic
authorities, which is not without justi-
fication. They cannot be blamed for
refusing to meet Harvard in any sport
after the treatment that they received
in the matter of football last fall. Pro-
lessor Edgar F. Smith, who is chair
man Of the university committee on
athletes, believes that he has good
right to resent on the part Of the uni
versity the slight which was put on
the university when in replying to a
request for a football game with Har-
ward Professor White of Harvard used
a postal card with a curt form of re-
fusal on it.
"This controversy was pretty we'll
exploited last spring, and at the time
the writer was assured by a Harvard
graduate in position to know that it
was not postal card, but the custo-
ihoiy Cdlu VI IeluSdI eIlClOSeO III I'LL
envelope. That since has been proved
to be untrue, and there can be abso-
lutely no question but that Professor
White either sent or caused to be sent
the postal card, which, because Of the
apparent insolence that characterized
the move, stirred the Pennsylvania
community through and through. 1t
can hardly be expected, therefore, that
now the University of Pennsylvania
should be eager to maintain athletic re-
lations with an institution which
thought it either funny or crushing to
reply to a polite letter in that form.
Sacrifice to Principle.
zone thing about the controversy is
especially noticeable The Pennsyl-
vania people are seemingly making
themselves a sacrifice to principle. The
Quakers last year won the inetlcol-
legiate basket ball championship with
the loss Of only one game. They have
this year practically the same team, al
though two men, Keinath and Law
renee perhaps, would not be up to their
usual game. In view of that fact, then,
they look good for the championship
again.
$50 that when they deliberately
throw aside two games which will be
counted against them as forfeited they
are throwing away all chances for the
championship. There is some good in
an institution which does that. A good
vindictive hater is liked by all. If
Pennsylvania goes further along these
lines, all hopes of carrying off the
swimming championships will be
blasted, although the Quakers have
same exceptional men. In the other
lines, too, they cannot be nurt.
"The action Of the University Of
Pennsylvania is impelled by motive
that is more than dislike. There Is
cool calculation in it. If the continued
refusal Of the Pennsylvanians to meet
the Harvard men is impressed suffi-
GENTLY on all fair-minded college men
at Harvard as we'll as at other 1nsti-
tutions-it will not be long before a
demand for the true reason will be
forthcoming. 1t may in time become
SO strong that an inquiry will be nelo'
1t will not be so unexpected, then, that
an apology be sent to the University
Of Pennsylvania from Harvard. MOST
college men will admit that some
reparation is due to the Philadelph1ans
for what cannot be construed into any
thing other than an insult.
LAS matters now stand and will con-
tinue to stand until some reparation is
made, the various intercollegiate asso-
Citations in the minor sports may Well
be disputed by the disunion that eA-
ists IF cannot be so long before sloes