The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-09
Signed Statement of Prof. Pat
terson Gives Michigan's Views.
Shows That the Wolverines Are
for the Big Nine.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Athletic Head, He Says, Did Not
Leave Conference in Anger.
The OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Did
Not Originate at Ann Arbor.

Chicago, Jan. 9-The Tribune saws:
That strong effort is being made by
leaders in Michigan athletics to remain
in the big nine,'' that the attitude of
Its athletic head toward the college con-
ference is the reverse of belligerent, and
that relations between the conference
representatives at last Saturdays
meeting in this city were not strained,
was shown by a voluntary statement
by Prof. G. w. Patterson, chairman of
Michigan's athletic board
Moreover, it is evident the conference
has given Michigan the most consider
able treatment consistent with the laws
Of the conference, which have been
s1Fetched to permit the conservative ell
ement at Ann Arbor to prevail over the
patterson hoped submission to confer
eEce athletic rules would be voted at
Tnas weeks meeting of the board of
control Is indicated.
leading motive in writing the state
msnt appears to have been the desire
70 refute misstatements made in some
quarters, that Prof. Patterson left the
Chicago meeting in anger when the re-
quests which he presented for less radi-
c provisions regarding football and
athletics were voted down. These mis-
statements, he says, will strengthen the
hands OF the radicals who favor with
drawa1 from the conference
aas nrst authentic interview on the
statement, follows:
Ann Arbor, Mich, Jan. 7.-Editor of
the Tr1bune:-I wish to thank you for
the fair account of the doings of the
athletic conference held in Chicago Jan
uary 4, published in The Sunday Tri-
bune.' It is much to be regretted that
some papers-notably the Detroit Free
Press, which always has been counted
a friend Of the University of Michigan
could have published accounts of the
evidently intended to foment trouble
between the conferences members
The picture of Mfchigans represen-
tative leaving the conference in anger
l. can only characterize as ma1iciously
false. 1 received entirely courteous
treatment and left the conference after
its adjournment. Michigan sent no I'LL
tlmatum by me and has taken no steps
lookng toward leaving the conference
me seven game schedule proposition
did not come from Michigan and was
not urged by me upon the conference
1t is to be remembered the confer
ence has as one of it's rules what is
called the White resolution which pro-
vides that any member which refuses
to accept legislation passed a second
time by a two-thirds majority is au-
tomatica1ly dropped from the confer
ence- Last spring Michigan refused 10
oSSCPb IldII l0SISIdIlOn, SO passed,
and its fellow members in the confer
ence instead of letting the White reso-
luton act, passed a 'nonintercourse
resolution thus leaving Michigan a
member contrary to the White resolu-
tons provision. The conference on
January 4 extended until February 1
next its liberation of Michigan's refusal
to conform, In order that our board may
have time in which to take formal ac-
ton.
7 need hardly say that Michigan has
no idea of refusing to be bound by con-
ference rules so long as she remains a
member Of the conference, and that
her refusal to conform last year was
limited to the calendar year 1907 by
resolution Of our board. The extern
sion to February 1 was a purely formal
matter and designed to give time for
our board to reiterate the decision of
the former board to conform after 1907
"1t is well known there is a consider
able party here in favor of withdrawal
and 1t is evident the false newspaper
reports appearing in some of your con-
temporaries, may result in so much
pressure on our board that we may
withdraw even against our best judg-
xner1t.
.'No paper has published an official
4nterview with me. tried to give one
TO the Detroit Free Press, but what
they published bore no great resem-
blance to what I gave.
GEO. W. PATTERSON,
eChairman of the Board in Control of
Athletics. University Of Michigan"
Michigan and Penn Renew Contract
Philadelphia, Pa. Jan. 9.-The Uni
versity Of Michigan today renewed their
two year agreement under which they
will play two games of football one this
year and one In 1909.