The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-11

on the first page Of The Washington
Herald yesterday morning appeared an
article on Football in high schools, by
Miss Ida NJ. DAILY, president Of the High
School Teachers Association. Of Wash
ington. D. c.
Principals Of the Washington high
schools. I'm their answer given yesterday
70 a representative OF this newspaper.
take issue squareiy. and IN an almost
unanimous voice. with the two chief con-
tentions Miss DAILY sets forth. They deny
in the first place that football should
be abolished in the high schools. and
disclaim Indignantly that they have
backed down" from any agreement"
regarding "A sunening Of requirements fer
eligibility They declare Miss DAILY did
not represent facts as they exist; that
her article IS erroneous in its p.curing
Of the evils" Of the game and mislead-
Ing IN its charge that they arr granting
special privileges 20 football heroes"
An Intense Feeling.
How intense is the feeling aroused
among heads OF schools by the attack
OF Miss DAILY IS shown by the fact that
yesterday afternoon at meeting OF high
school principals I'm Business High
School her article was read amid
chorus Of dissenting voices. and much OF
the time Of the meeting was consumed
IN a somewhat acrid discussion Of her
statements. The tone OF the comment
was indignant where the conduct or prin-
cipals was arraigned. and touched with
levtv when the expression by Miss DAILY
''the slaughter OF the innocents." was
read aloud.
Present at the meeting. which was the
regular monthly gathering. we're Emory
NJ Wilson. OF Central High school; Miss
Edith c. Wescott OF Western High
School. George T. Myers. OF Mckinley
Manual Training SCHOOL, Allan Davis. OF
Business High School; Willard S. Small
Of Eastern High School; DR. W Bruce
Evans, Of Armstrong Manual Training
School, and r. W. Williams, os NJ Street
High School.
The principals were reluctant al first
70 discuss the article. II was only when
they took the same ground for entering
the lists-thet the parents were the ones
chiefly interested. and should have a
knowledge OF the situaion-that they
talked freely Of the pros and cons Of
football and OF Miss Days remarks
about their conduct Of the playing OF it.
With some of Miss Days premises they
agreed: it was with her deductions they
found fault For instance, they said
they would elcome an organized plan
OF physical development FOR all pupils "
But while agreeing with the critic on
that point, they did not reach her con-
clusion that 1t is time for the parents
10 rise up against this outrage IN the
name Of education
Again, they would gladly see an idea
lized form OF the game in which injuries
would-not occur. But that view did not
carry with II the belief that the great
! est physical injury in football IS the
! iusidioUs one. which develops later,
wrecking the whole mans life" They
called Miss Daly's more radical state
ments oyerdrawn. They believed the pub
1 lie generally did not want football abOi-
| ished. And for themselves. they thought
/ that instead OF plucking out and casting
away the eye that offended. IL could be
/ treated by competent athletic oculists as
/ time went on, and kept I'm its socket.
Miss Days Picture.
! II was In the discussion of the first and
great evil pictured by Miss DAILY in tht
game Of football that the internal work
| ings Of the system Of athletic supervi-
sion were laid bare. Miss DAILY said:
THE worst of the evils is the mora
one. There IS a supposed educationa
| check in the shape Of a condition II
studies preventing a pupils playing bu
that is a mere pretense and the pupil.
! know IL"
She went on 20 say that late in the last
school year the principals. supported by
thor faculties. made a ruling that II
pupil is found by the faculty supervisor.
70 be deficient in his studies at the enc
of six weeks from the beginning Of {
/ semester-in the case Of the fall semester
/ that would be in the football season-h,
should be ineligible to play until the de
! fciency was made UP. She declared tn,
| faculty supervisors, who were appointe,
by the principals to represent the schooI
decided that mark should not coun
! against the pupil, and that the principals
| backing down from their agreement.
are practically not considering or ar,
"evading." that check on the student.
| scholarship. II was with this statemen
the principals took issue.
Miss Daily either is not acquainted
with the facts in the case, or she ha,
not represented them properly" said Mis-,
WescOtt. principal Of Western Higf
School There was never any agreement
between the principals that such a rulini
should be made. for the reason that W,
have not the power 10 make such a r1Il
ing. The board Of faculty supervisors
which is appointed by us. Is the bod,
Continued on Page s, Column @.
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