Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-01
Opinions Of Some of the College Presi-
dents-Recommendations Of DR..
Sargent Of the Harvard Gym.

unfair.
President Schurman says: Tt is a
rough game; but taking account Of the
large number Of people who play it-com-
pairing them, for example, with the more
luxurious motorist-the number of serious
accidents and Of fatalities is small
1.-THE pharse the large number of peo-
pie who play 1t so inaptly describes the sit
uation that 1t is ironical. President Wheeler
Of the University of California asserts:
only a few are needed. In the ten years
from 1892 to 1902 at the University of California
only seveDty-ive different men made the team IS
players substitutes ont of four thousand or more
different male students during that time In attend
AS player generally holds on for three or
fou, years seventy 1--WE men. with certain NUM- u,
Der Of hopeless candidates as background, VIII
suffice for the proposed task in any decade.
The Old Game at Cornell.
'"The same condition prevails in every
institution where foot ball is played. Few
take part The vast majority Of students
look on. 1t is a spectacle for the glorifi-
cation of an exceedingly small minority.
1 remember how different it was in the
old days at Cornell before the present
game was introduced early In the eighties
We played the Cornell game which was
a slight modification of what is known as
the association or socker game. NO one
was allowed to carry the ball and to get
in front of it was off-side play The BAH
ward the goal, but no one could carry It.
Consequently there were no mass plays
or interference
Then as to the number engaged. Three
afternoons In the week we had military
drill, which was compulsory for the fresh
men and sophomores. After drlii several
hundred of the students would engage In
foot ball and would keep 1t UP until dark
In the four years I spent in college L ran
to recolect of any one having a broken
bone. We played on the field In front OF
McGraw and North buildings, from "nlch
the grass had been worn by constant
tramping, and although fall on the hard
ground was unpleasant 1t was not enough
to break a bone.
"HystericaI Criticism"
President Schurman says of the present
game:
There is. 1 say. so much to be adduced in
favor of the game that the criticism which mas Is
eonsia L be found to be, il not hysterlcal
and frenzied at least one-sided and unfair
Impartial consideration indeed! That
sounds temperate coming from one VINO
styles those who differ with him as .hys,
terica1' .frenzied,' .one-sided and unfair
AZ President Schurman assumes to be an
Impartial Judge it is to be taken for grant
ed that he is a well-informed one. Yet ne
classes as the two greatest objections TO
present foot ball smuggling and other IN
territorial evasions of the rules and CONNER
cialism. Now II he had kept pace with the
present controversy he would nave known
that the great objection to the game IS
mass play and scrimmages which have re-
suited in many deaths and serious injuries
No death or grave injury has resulted from
smuggling or intentional violation Of the
rules It Is admitted that the great ma
jority of injuries have been unintentionaL
The Cause Of Casualties.
cot course, there is smuggling, but black
eye or a confused nose is the only result
Iorxr, tI1oh ar6
earth and half dozen fellows pile on him
that a bad accident follows. This Is what
DR.. Dudley A. Sargent. director Of Hemen-
way gymnasium at Harvard University.
says:
The injuries from foot ball. which unfortu.
nately are now more numerous than ever, do not
result SO much from personal assaults as from
bips Sformeriy prohibited various kinds of mo-
mentum rpass plays, and the practice OF piiing
on to the man who Is downed with the ban, SO 80
long this method of playing is practieed 1t
will be necessary to meet force with force and In
juries will continue to be numerous for reasons
that obvious that they need not be men
toned
aft may be lese majestic to Intimate that
President Schurman does not know what
he Is talking about, but one can haroiy
read his criticism and what DIR. Sargent
saws and concede that the former Is well
informed.
"As to the critics of the present game OF
foot ball being 'hysterical' one has only
to read what Is said in the latest number
of the Review of Reviews by Presidents
Butler, Wheeler and Finley and DR.. Sar-
gent and DR.. Gulick, director OF physical
training in the New York city schools, to
recognize that the controversy is being
carried on by one side at least in a tenn
perate manner.
"Dr. schurman praises outdoor sports In
the colleges, but he has no issue there.
Certainly the old Cornell game provided
outdoor sport for dozen where the pres
ent game gives 1t to one.
The Way to Reform.
at is amusing, the off-hsnd. cock-sure
way Dr. -Schurman has of pointing out how
evils In foot ball may be remedied. He
says airily: "A few changes In the rules
and in the provisions for their enforce
ment would accomplish all the reforms
needed, except the elimination of CONNER
cialism.'
1T must be comforting to Camp Dennis,
Bell and the other members of the rules
committee to learn what an easy task Is
before them. Countless suggestions have
been made indicating as many objection
able features of the game. President
Wheeler formerly a professor at Cornell,
says:
&c "A better solution, in my opinion. Is to return
from the E to the sport tai take % the head
and the knee padding. and introduce the assoca-
ton game for light men and runners-indeed, for
the average man--and the restored Rugby per-
haps with it's Australian modifca tons for the
heavier and vigorous men. Then let the stu
dent mass descend from its enthronement In se,Ien-
tary athletics the bleachers and get health and
fun and yrility out Of the heartiest and manifest
OF sports.
president Finley has played the asso-
citation game American Rugby and the
present game, Regarding the first he
says, IF 1t Is all that my memory recalls
1t should be restored in our schools, at
any rate
DR.. Sargent's Suggestions.
DIR. Sargent has definite ideas regard
ing foot ball reform, and they are based
on a somewhat intimate knowledge Of
the subject. But his suggestions would 50
transform the game that it would become
nothing more or less than the association
game He