New-York tribune., 1908-02-23
CHANCE FOR STEVENS
MAY SECURE BIG MEET.
Good Reason for Holding Intercol-
7eelates at HObOken.

When the annual meeting of the Intercollegiate
Association of Amateur Athletes of America is
held the Fifth Avenue Hotel on next SATURDAY,
it is probable that will be considerable argu-
ment over the selection of the place for the an
nuaf track and field meeting. Franklin Field
Philadelphia, and Soldiers Field Cambridge. have
been mentioned for the championships, but new
bidder will to the front on Saturday IN
Stevens Institute, which has good field at Hobo
ken. Many OF the college representatives VIII FAVOR
the smaller college, and ii is just possible that the
organization will decide to hold the meeting at
Hoboken for the first time.
member of the intercollegiate Association said
yesterday that there little likelihood OF the
championships being decided at Harvard this year
In 1906 and 1907 the annual meetings were held at
Soldiers Field but 1t is the policy Of the assoca-
ton make these championship meetings repre-
sentative and hold them in various parts Of the
country. Some of the colleges feel little better
| toward Harvard and Yale because the lntercoi-
legiate Association challenge declined by Ok
ford and Cambridge on the ground that they would
proba bly, Yale and Harvard this year. They
feel that the English colleges consider there is
higher degree of amateurism at Harvard and Yale.
So they intend to fight against anything which
favors Harvard Yale.
Franklin Field has the first call for the inter-
collegiate championship this year, but there is
considerable opposition to Philadelphia from Har-
ward, Yale, Columbia. Syracuse and some New Eng
land colleges Harvard, Of course. wants the meet,
and Yale would rather compete in the Stadium this
year than Franklin Field Then there are GER
tain representatives who think that II is about
time that the championships decided
near New York. The last time this city saw the
intercollegiates at Berkeley Oval in 1903 When
old Berkeley Oval torn up It impossible
to get another track in this vicinity which had a
go yard straightaway. There is nothing In in
tercolIegiate rules which forbds this being
around curve. but from time tmmemorial it has
been the custom to run II over a straghtaway.
Some consider it ridiculous custom. for under
these conditions q large part of the cannot be
by the spectators and especially Is this true
at Franklin Field. where the start is from a chute
and the finish under the grandstand. New York
University has of the best tracks In the city,
but the meet has never been held there because 1t
lacks this 220-yard straightaway If the Intercol-
legiate Association decides to hold the meeting at
Hoboken the Stevens Institute management will
agree to build addition SO that the track will
meet all requirements.
There are several things in favor OF Stevens In
sttute. It is New York, where the visiting
athletes obtain first class accommodations 1t
Is centrally situated, and can be reached easily by
all the teams figuring In the meet The track will
not favor one team more than another. as Stevens
Institute is almost negligible quantity as a point
winner. And then it is enough to the great
city TO insure a good crowd and surplus in the
treasury of the association.