The sun., 1909-11-02

day and once more turned their thoughts
ON the annual contest with Yale.
Dean Le Baron Russell Briggs, chair
man OF the athletio committee. in dis
cussing the fatal accident In the West
Point game said to-day: "We feel very
badly over the occurrence at the West
Point game, and we sympathize very
heartily with his folks and the academy OF
which he was a member. OF course there
are other sports in which there 10 great
risk Of injury and death. and many Of
these sports are recognized outdoor
sports. for example, horseback riding,
Not having been at the game at West
particular occurrence. but We all sym
pathize with the cadets frief&is and are
sorry that this thing happened. As for
the effect Of this deplorable incident on
sports and athletice and particularly on
football in the future l would not dare to
propheey."
President Lowell said: 1T is a most
unfortunate happening. q blemish on the
game. My heartfelt sympathy goes out
to the parents OF the young man. About
the future Of football at Harvard. that is
for the athletic committee TO decide"
kilograms have been sent from various
organizations here to West Point bearing
expressions OF the sympathy OF the uni
versity. Under the supervision OF the
student council an immense floral offer.
nB has DetD ttjLlb UoWh tOr Jnc Auuct "a
tomorrow. As representatives OF the
undergraduate body Capt. Fish and
G.. =. Gardner have left to be present,
as also Coach Daily, who was at one time
a player at West Point.
ITHACA, N. ". Nov. The death OF
Cadet Byrne will have no influence on
Cornell football plans, and as far as Cor
nell is concerned will not change the pres
ent rules, according TO a canvass made
tere to-day. While coaches and players
expressed regret. they did not see how
there was any more danger In football than
any other game. Lieut.. Joe Beaohaga, t,
one OF the West Point coaches, is a Cor
nell man and was expected here this week.
but was detained at the Point on account
Of the fatality. Murray Howes.. one of
West Point tonight to attend Byrne's
funeral.
New HAVEN, Nov. 1.-Director Chit
tenden Of the Sheffield scientific school
in discussing the death OF the West Point
football player said: consider that the
accident will cast a gloom over the rest
Of the football season, but We must act
sanely and not on the spur of the moment.
II is unfortunate that the accident should
have been such a prominent one. One
death among the thousands who play foot
ball does not seem to me a sufficient reason
for abolishing intercollegiate football.
However. 1 am greatly in favor OF reduc-
ing the liability to accident by changes in
the rules which would tend toward a more
open game
The Yale Daily NssDs. the Official organ
OF the students at Yale. has the following
editorial comment:
Such accidents have the effect Of i'm
pelling in all of Iis an absolute condem-
nation OF football. Our emotions are
powerfully. stirred against the game.
We are impulsively brought to think it
brutal. The coincidence Of two con-
temporary and frightflll accidents in
the limelight Of the football world throws
US all into an unreasoning panic. We
ask ourselves is football worth such
a priceI Instinctively we answer No..
Compared with the vast number who
play footba II the percentage OF fatally
in njured is ex tremely small. Under normal
circumstances football has appealed to
our reason and intellect as splendid
form of athletics. In this game there
is commingled swiftness, agility. grace.
ties are uniquely quickened by it The
game teaches self control. Better than
any other physical contest il offers an
opportunity for the differentiation be-
tween clean sport and it's opposite. In
the spectator II inspires intense en-
thusiasm.
To-day in each OF us the individual
case comes in conflict with the princi-
pie, the former backed by emotion. the
latter by reason. Emotion battles with
intellect. To-day our sympathy rightly
annihilates our reason. But whether foot
oall is worth the candle or not to-day
our individual judgment should not be
cast.
-The press Of the country is liable to
he swept away by emotionalism. The in
dvidual is liable TO the same excess in
criticism. Let the Undergraduate in this
and all other universities forbear in his
judgment until he may think nationally.
"Ks n"e-rnrYC measure rule might
ne elective which compelled the with
drawaI of a player who had sustained
an injury rendering him liable to a weak
the rules might further open up the game
to do away even more with close forma-
tions and plays dependent to a consid-
erable extent on weight rather than
speed"