New-York tribune., 1909-03-27
DR.ELLOT'SLAST REPORT
AGAIN FLAYS FOOTBALL.
Demorali@ing Spectacle, Conduc'Ue
to Gambling, He Says.

Cambridge. Mass. March 26-There was some
appreciable improvement in Harvard athleucs oui-
ing the year 19O7-OS. according to the last ahhua'
report of President Charles W. Eliot, which was
made public tonight but he finds that in baseod'i
and football the amount of time devoted daily 10
these games by the principal players is altoeetlei
too great and in football the training Is so fausu
ing that good players have little Vth'y IeI' ioi
Intellectual labor during the season
Toward diminishing these exaggeratlohs niue
nrogress if any was made during the season
says the report Although the game OF Ioo'o'
has been more open and interesting py the ne"
rules and some OF the former foul play mas peeH
prevented by the neutral strip and other devices
the game still remains unfit college uses says
President Eliot and affords a denorallzlhg spec
tacle for the immense crowds which gather 10 VII
ness the chief games and still provides on great
scale the opportunity for that variety OF gamoihs
called betting.
Continuing this subject the report says:
The betting evil is greatly increased by the te
practice of exhibiting the game IN puSSllC -
scene Of action The popular excitement over
football games is spread and maintained foI Cuil
Companies and hotels which reap a considerable
profit from these assemblages' since the Puoac ,S T
to witness these exciting contests. As rule the
undergraduate PLAYERS IN inteFCoif&Eaf o & fars and
have interest in or desire TOT ue & Ia.e .hnsa 80
glare: and it may. therefore. be hoped that tHese
sports viii in a few years have disappeared
The English schools and universities nave never
ton with their athletic games. and their whole.
some habit of universal out-of-door exercise i rs
maintained quietly and firmly without any sum
adventitiOus eXCttementS. ,...z
II is reasonable to expect that the barbarous
stage of public opinion and college opinion CON
cerning athletics which in this country mas ie neen
partly the result of ineXperience In cofIlpelltIt
sports partly of the general predisposl tor 70
eXaggeration in pleasures when Cnaractea,~e .ess
Meantime the educated public may TeJolce] ] IN me
preventive medicine, daily out-of-door exerclse
and moderation in eating and drinking, with me
great resulting Improvement in the health and
viEor Of young men and women at the student
age.
considerable part OF the report is devoted to
his advocacy of the three years course for de
grees Dr. Eliot alludes TO lis report OF ten years
ago in which he states that from onethird TO two
ffths Of each college class had need Of more
than three years complete the number Of courses
required for the degree. He points out the fact
that the number Of students actually taking the
bachelors degree in three years has been steadily
increasing and says that ample demonstration
has been given that any student Of respectable
capacity can take the degree Of a. B. or 5. 4. In
three years" He concludes this subject by
saying:
residence without lowering of the present require
ments for the first degree in course examinations
could not but raise the standard of labor during
college residence"
The relations between Harvard and the SCHOOLS
which At students for college are discussed at
length President Eliot says that the chairman OF
the Harvard committee admissions is convinced
that it would be better for the college to abandon
its own examinations for admission in June and
rsI, wholly on those conducted by the college en-
trance examination board. Efforts are being made
TO improve the relations between the college ana
the secondary schools.
The report points out that. Notwithstanding the
hard times gifts the university amounted to