Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-25
WILL PROBABLY BAR
OUT USE. OF OXYGEN
Not True Sportsmanship to
Use the StimuIant on Com
peting Athletes.
BY Edward r. Bushnell.

| Whether or not the use of oxygen will
ever be of any service to modern college
athletes ought to be determined by the
time the Yale athletic authorities COM
plete their series of extensive tests.
which, 1T is said have been applied to
some go athletes representing every
branch Of college sport. Other universe
ties. both In this country and England,
have made numerous tests on the value
of oxygen, but none has been SO exhaust
i've as that conducted at Yale.
/ In spite of what the Yale tests may
show when made public there is no doubt
that the majority of experts on this point
are agreed that the use of oxygen is
wholly impracticable In modern compet!-
tive sport, and is an extremely doubtful
aid to record breaking performaE I'M
der any circumstances. Outside of the
Yale tests DIR. r. TAFT Mckenzie of the
University OF Pennsylvania has probably
contributed the most nos, information In this
country to the utility and general effects
of oxygen to athletic performances. DIR.
MckenZies Investigations were prompted
by the reports, of wonderful performances
by several English university runners by
the use of oxygen. 1t was reported that
the Britons, by the application of oxygen,
were able not only to better their best
previous performances, but to repeat
after little rest In a manner that had
never been possible before.
DIR. McKenzie's Investigations drove him
10 the conclusion that not all athletes can
inhale oxygen and improve their records.
Several Of the athletes with whom he eX-
perimented suffered extreme nausea from
the oxygen. Others were able by it to
better their former records. but the i'm
provement was not enough to warrant
the trouble its use demanded. There was,
however. one point of merit. This was
= ,tal 0xi+h hfct, no ofh Yp-
covered from a hard race. In the case
of man who had run two hard races In
the same afternoon there is no doubt that
IL the oxygen had no bad effects 1t would
enable him to start his second competi-
ton in much better condition. The same
i theory applied to a prize fighter. DIR. Nc
| Kenzie said. would enable him to recu-
perate more quickly between rounds.
But the most serious argument against
oxygen utilized in competitive athletics is
from the ethical standpoint. No sports
| man would tolerate a competition be-
tween two horses one of which had the
advantage of wind shield. This is the
| same sort Of an argument which would
be used against the oxygenized athlete.
In this case the use Of oxygen would be
! concealed. So far as is known no one
| has ever been accused of taking unfair
| advantage of his fellow-competitorS by
inhaling oxygen preparatory to race.
! Perhaps the charge will be made some
day. and if SO 1t will necessitate new
| amateur code, penalizing its use by SuS-
4 pension. Fortunately, though. to be eff
! fective it's use must immedia tely precede
| the competition, which makes 1t certain
of detection.
Collegians and Summer Ball.
The closing of the college year has
brought university authorities face to
| face with the problem. of the semi-pro-
fessional or summer ball player. Prac-
i in ha 0frv lie
pledged to prohibit it's student athletes
from playing the game for money con-
sideration during the summer months. In
spite of their activity in preventing this
it is safe to say that it is and will be con-
tinued during the present season. In
| fact, an investigator would have to be
very blind if he did not discover scores
of alleged college amateurs playing with
| the minor league teams Of the country.
How to prevent this is a serious prob
lem. In the cases of students from the
big universities where there are strict
rules against this practice the players
| always work under assumed names.
Those from some of the smaller colleges.
where the evil is merely winked at. fire.
| quently play under their right names
and no one cares. 1t is very rarely that
student tries to deceive his college by
playing professional ball on one of the
big league teams. When a collegian does
SO play he usually renounces his amateur
status and, Of course, receives enough
money to do this advantageouSly. The
most conspicuous example of this oc-
Cured several years ago. when Coakley,
the star Holy Cross pitcher. played the
last six weeks of the season with the
| Philadelphia Athletics under the name OF
| McAllister, and by his splendid work en-
abled the Philadelphians to win the
| American League pennant. The real
! identity Of the supposed McAllister was
| long a mystery, and was only cleared up
by Coakley himself. He did it in most
creditable manner. too, for. although still
a student at Holy Cross. he declined to
become a candidate for his college team
the following year. explaining the circum-
stances of his playing professional ba II
| the previous fall.
Unfortunately Coakleys example is not
followed by those collegians who masque-
rade as amateurs during the college year
and as professionals during the summer.
One of the greatest difficulties encoun-
| tered In stamping out this evil is the
lax ideas held and exploited by too many
college professors. There is hardly big
university in the east that has not at
some time been brought into the limeIight
by some professor or other individual of
prominence, condemning the rules which
prohibit student from earning living
during the summer, and frequently pay
ing his college expenses. by playing pro-
fessional ball during the summer months
| These colleges, of course. have rules
prohibiting such players from represent
ing their colleges on the diamond and
| they make some effort to enforce them
Yet the rules are violated Just the same
Not year passes but records some uni
Iversity as suspending various PLAYERS for
professionalism. But since SO many COL
lese professors declare their disbelief in
the rules they have passed for the sup
preston of this practice it Is no wonder
that the students disregard them with i'm
punty.
The only sure method of breaking I'D
the evil is by the action of some such
body as the Intercollegiate Athletic Asso-
citation of the United States, which was
formed for the purpose of actin.. on Just
such problems. But there is little hope of
relief even here until this body, now di-
vided AGAINST itself on the question.
takes a decided stand one side or the
other and sees that II Is enforced.
Chicago Leads Western Athletes.
The multiplicity of sports which charac-
| terizes intercollegiate athletics in the east
has part IN the conference colleges of
the middle west. Whereas in the east
there are twenty sports which are fos-
championships there are only six such
in the middle west. These are foot ball,
track athletics, base ball. cross country
running, basket ball and swimming. Va
rious colleges support tennis and golf,
but they are not of Intercollegiate i'm
portance. resulting In nothing more than
| occasional dual meets.
| The following table shows how the
western universities divided up the vari-
Gus championships:
Sport. College: foot ball. Chicago: base
| ball Purdue: track athletics. Illinois;
| bas ket ball Chicago: swimming, Chica go ;
1.v-