Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-09
COLLEGE LEADERS
DOOM SUMMER BALL

NEW YORK, December 9.-The Inter
collegiate Athletic Association of the
United States, at its meeting in the last
week in December, hopes to kill summer
base ball. The practice, which has been
one of the most pernicious of the many
Ills that have affe cted the college sport
ing body, has been more or less prevalent
for more than a decade. Sporadic efforts
have been made from time to time 10
stop it, but none has succee ded in doing
more than to limit its scope. For year
the executive committee has been en-
gagged in a swee ping investigation, and
the result of it will be laid before the con-
Vention of colleges to assemble at the
Murray Hill Hotel, Dece mber %.
This is only one side of the association
work. The foot ball problems that have
held the attention of the association for
the last two years will continue to in
terest it. A means will be suggested per-
manently to settle the question of the ap-
pointment of the foot ball rules commit
tee, whereby the men who have been iden-
titled with the game from its inception
and been responsible for it's development
will be insured continuance upon the COM
mittee, while changes will be made to Sc
cure a longer term of service for every
member of the committee.
There Is a lively interest in the comm 6
meeting as to whether or not Yale. Har-
ward. Princeton and Cornell will join the
association. Pennsylvania and Chicago
have already allied themselves with the
new body, whose membership during the
last year has doubled. President Pierce
makes an earnest appeal to all colleges
to join in the work Of the association, and
declares the bene fits to accrue to the gen.
eral intercollegiate interests are immeas-
urable. He says, in part:
THE 1ntercolle giate Athletic Associa-
ton of the United States was formed for
the purpose of elevating college athletics
throughout our land. The need of a ma
uonal organization fully representative
of the colleges and universities of the
earnestly desired that every such insti-
tuition, where int rcollegiate athletic
sports are maintained, shall enroll as a
member and thus take its proper stand
for pure amateur sport, and contribute
its due share of effort and expense in
promoting a reasonable control of college
and athletic sports. This association de-
votes hundreds of dollars every year to
the expenses of the foot ball rules COM
mittee. Is your institution paying its
proper share? If not, is there any good
reason why it should not now join this
association? Has not the reform in foot
bail alone been worth all the agitation
and expense?
"A national organization such AS this
can and will accomplish great things in
the way of reform. A united movement
will be effective where independent efforts
are of no avail except in the individual
institution concerned. The influence eX-
erted will be in geometrical proportion to
the number of institutions enrolled in its
membership. You are therefore again
urged to join in the work, which must
have your sympathy and which needs
your active cooperation.
The membership Of our association has
about doubled during the present year.
Among the larger institutions the univer-
sites of Pennsylvania and Chicago have
become active members, and their repre-
sentative character will contribute greatly
to the practical result of our delbera
tons and of the conclusions reached.
Some of the functions Of national
organization such as ours may be formu-
lated as follows:
"First-As a clearing house of athletic
ideas. The country is SO large that in
Stitutions in one section have not known
what those in other sections have been do
of reciprocal help.
"Second-As a central bureau Of propa-
ganda in intercollegiate athletics, which Is
of the greatest Importance, because they
keep the need of purity in athletics promi
nently before the people and tend to
educate them along lines that are too
often neglected.
"Third-As an agency of practical re-
form. The general aim is to suggest
methods of purifying athletics, and to re-
form, or standardize, SO to speak, the
eligibility rules
"Once more, then, we earnestly invite
your cooperation in our work. You will
action by SO doing. You will simply
unite in the great national movement
which has been begun for the betterment
of college athletics