The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-01-10
SENTENCE
IS UNCHANGED,
SAYS DR.. WIBER
Ten Days Counts From
January "a. A. u.
in Danger.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

II have received a letter from DR..
George ]. Hepbron. chairman Of the
basketball committee OF the Amateur
Athletic Union, asking that the ten-day
suspension Of the Yale basketball team
for playing against professionals on the
George Washington team on December
50 be dated from the day of the offense.
instead OF from January 6, the day on
which made my decision in the matter.
DE- HepbFOn's letter says not word
about Yale lighting or protesting the
sentence. I declined to change the sen
tence, for various reasons. In the first
place, since the ofrense was committed
Yale has played against a team in New
Jersey, and to date the suspension back
would complicate matters very much.
in the second place, Yale has a big
game on in New York for Saturday
night, and to modify my ruling so that
game might take place with our sane
ton would be no punishment at all and
make the A. A. u. ruling a joke"
Couldn't Consistently Change.
Thus spoke Dr.. D. Z. Wiber, OF Wash
ington, chairman OF the registration
committee of the South Atlantic AssO-
citation OF the A A. T.. this morning in
discussing the reports from New York
that Yale would have no difficulty in re-
lieving itself from any penalty Dr.. Wiber
might have inflicted for taking part
against the G. W. U. professionals
81 called w yesterday Manager
Lyons, of the Yale basketball team, on
the long-distance telephone continued
DIR. VViber. and he earnestly besouGhJ
me to switch the dates IN the slspen-
sion. DIT. HepbrOn also came TO the
phone and made the same requeSt, put
i could not in fairness to all concerned
nuilify my action and at the same
time DreCipitate the complications which
would arise because Of the New Jersey
game. Neither Mr. Lyons nor Dr. Hep
bron mentioned any protest by Yale
over the suspension. They implicitly
admitted the equity and legality Of that
when they asked for modification OF the
penalty
Convinced He Is Right.
i was surprised to find Mr.. Lyons
inclined 10 put the Yale end up TO
Billy Lush. the professional coach &C
c0mpanyiug the team. AS far as I can
learn, this is unfair to Lush, for I am
given to understand by persons who
were there and heard the argument,
that Lush strongly protested against
the team going on the floor, ard ad-
vised the acting manager TO cancel the
match rather than run the risk o Great
ing trouble. I do not think it exactly
the square thing TO try to shift the re-
spcnsibility to the professional coach
under The circumstances.
Il ann still thoroughly convinced that
] was right IN my ruling against George
Washington ard Yale because of the
professionals on the George Washing
ton team, and shall maintain that posi-
Sl0h. In this 1 have the hearty sup
port Of President Sullivan, OF the A A
L.. and. as I have said. Yale has not
IN my communication with me disput-
ed the ruling"
MetropOlitan's Cold Quitting.
Friends of the Amateur Athletic
Union in washington were much
pleased today when they learned that
Barlow s. Weeks, the eminent New
York lawyer, who was senior counsel
Tor Roland 3. Molineux and IS chair
man Of the legislation committee Of the
a. A. l., had oyerrUled the registra-
zion committee of the Metropolitan As
ISOLATION, and promptly declared Ray
Ewry suspended FOR taking part in un-
sanctioned meets. To the readers Of
the newspaper accounts of the trial of
Ewry the action Of the Metropolitans
committee was about the coolest bit of
quitting in the history OF amateur ath-
letics Had not Mr.. Weeks or some
one else in authority with a sense Of
manhood and deCency come to the front
with a suspension for Ewry, the A. a,
T. would not longer have been worthy
of the slightest respect of any human
being. and the authorities of the
Olympic games in London this year
would have been thoroughly justified
in refusing the entry OF every athlete
having any connection with the A.
a. U.
Granting that Ewry received no
money or iIlegitimate expenses for his
exhibitions of jumping, he knowingly
sook part in unsanctiOned meets, which
carries with 1t suspension, no matter
What the extenuating circumstances
lie admitted this technical fault, and
the fact that the committee did not
suspend him is a disgrace to the Metro
politan Association and the a. a u
81 general.