Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-19

upon the action of the faculty of George
town University in abolishng that form
of the game from the list or athletic
sports of that institution, the principals
OF the five District high schools met yes
terday and, by a vote of TO 1. cut the
game off the high school list. The
games scheduled by the high school
teams for the remainder of the current
season were ordered Cancelled and the
indications are that the board of educa-
ton will abolish the game entirely unless
the rules are materially changed.
George Washington alone remains in
the field. Her team will play its sched-
uled game with Bucknell on Thanksgiv-
ing day. but it is not at all unlikely that
it will be the last game of Rugby foot
ball ever INDUCED in by students Of
George Washington. The faculty council
Of George Washington will meet in Feb
ruary and settle the question once and
for all.
II the George Washington council de-
cides against foot ball, only the private
schools of Washington and the athletic
clubs will be left i'm the field. And it is
by no means certain that they will not
be put in the same position as the stu
dents of Georgetown and the District
High Schools by congressional legislation
Effect Far. Reaching.
The effect of the drastic action regarding
foot bail by Washington educational insti-
tutnins will certainly be far reaching, and
If Congress acts the influence upon the
rest of the country will be most effective.
To the foot ball fraternity the aboli-
ton Of the game by Georgetown. George
Washington and the District high schools
would mean nothing. since they stand
far down on the list so far as their
foot ball teams are concerned. The ath-
letic authorities of educational institu-
tions throughout the country would look
ward in the east and the universities of
Michigan. Minnesota and Chicago in the
west and Virginia, Sewanee and Wander
bilt in the south.
But it is thought by local educators
that ii is not a matter for the devotees
of the game to settle. They think it has
apparently gone too far for that and has
taken on all the aspects Of a national is
sue. The only salvation of the game.
they say. lies in the ability of the foot
bali rules committee to SO change the
rules that serious accidents to players
will be eliminated. The difficulty of this
problem, they further assert, is clearly
recognized by all who know anything of
the game of foot ball. The rules commit
tee. which is composed of former foot
ball players of the leading colleges of the
country will meet In New York in Jan
uart. Graduates of Yale, Harvard and
Princeton are In the majority on the
committee, and they may be depended
upon TO do everything that can be done to
reduce the chances of accident to a mini
mum.
Reached a Point for Action.
One prominent educator declares that
even the most ardent advocates Of the
game will have to admit that. as played
in America, the game has reached a point
where there is strong opposition to II on
the part of the general public.
There is decided trend in favor of
with the English assOcia-
ton game. commonly known by the cor
rupted title of soccer. This is prac-
tically the old game of foot ball that the
fathers of the present generation of foot
ball players INDUCED in. The ball is
kicked all the time and never touched by
the hand. Eleven men participate.
Georgetown will make serious en-
a. nv fo,