Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-23

II had been planned to buy the two addi-
tional lots in the second block 10 permit
the erection Of steel bleachers and the lay
ina out Of a regulation size base ball
diamond in the spring The single block
will prevent the carrying out OF these plans.
For a while the regents had anticipated
a great deal Of trouble in getting some Of
the owners Of lots in the selected block TO
dispose Of their holdings al reasonable
prices. but they seem 10 be in a fair way
TO bringing these stubborn parties over
to just terms without any considerable
litigation. This. In addition to making the
work Of the regents more agreeable, will
also help expedite the task Of putting the
ground into shape for foot ball by early
fall.
II everything NOV es along smoothly. as
now seems probable, the work Of removing
the buildings and trees from the site Of
the new field will be started about June
!. This will consume the time until July 1,
or a little better. when the grading will be
commenced. This should be completed not
later than the middle OF August. After that
in the time intervening before September
30, the b%leachers. grandstand and high
fence can be erected. giving the Cornhusk-
ers a completed field for their first foot
ball game OF the season Of 1909.
CtnpD Men Mean Business.
Apparently the recent election of student
members of the athletic board. when an
anti-Clapp ticket was successful. did not
settle the squally condition of affairs that
have existed in that body all year. for the
Clapp forces are just beginning to show
their hand and interesting developments
are expected before long. In fact one bit
of their work came to light this week. and
n uhoua that tha.. r,nn k,es.z-
This particular piece of work was a
strategic move and. on the surface. was
a severe blow to the anti-Clapp forces. 1t
simply consisted of getting a resolution
passed in the university senate appointing
the head of the department of physical
education who is DR.. Clapp) as permanent
delegate of the Cornhusker athletic board
10 all meetings of the Missouri Valley con-
ference and other bodies with which Ne
braska has athletic intercourse.
RMS resolution removes the bone which
caused most of the contention between
the Clapp faction and the students last
winter, but 1t comes far from settling the
matter, for the mutterings heard on the
campus since the senate took action in
dicates the student body is now more en-
RACED than ever. 1t has merely substi-
tuted a larger bone over which the two
factions can fight.
What the liberals Of the athletic board
commended when they were opposing DR..
Clapp as a delegate to the Missouri valley
conference meetings last winter was that
he was not the man to send there to guard
Neoraska's interests. 1t was at the time
the foot ball training tables life hung in
the balance. The Cornhuskers favored the
table and they wanted it saved to the
Rig SaxFpn - uhavv u,.-.a
conference meetings who would make
their position known; who would assert
himself and make the other schools take
eognizance of Nebraska's position as a
factor in western athletics. They did not
believe this school should bow to Iowa or
Missouri anG they wanted to let those very
institutions learn how they felt. But they
did not believe DR.. Clapp was the man
to carry the message. His action in fall
ing In line and voting to abolish the table
at a previous meeting gave them good
grounds for thinking so, too.
CIapp's Friends F~arsiEhted.
The students and their faculty supporters
were sincere in their beliefs. They had
no personal feelings against DR.. Clapp and
tney would have been . strong for making
him a delegate had he shown in any way
that he would fight hard for Nebraska's
broader policy in athletics. When, though,
he voted against the foot ball training
they began their fight on him. They
were not successful in keeping him from
going to the last conference meeting. but
the vote was close. and 1t gave the Clapp
forces an idea of what they could expect
next year. Then the election of a solid
set Of anti-Clapp student members imme-
diately put the Clapp men on the ag-
gressive and they secured the passage of
the rule by the senate to take the cleo
ton OF conference delegates out of the
hands of the athletic board. This rule Will
make DR.. Clapp the permanent representa-
tive of the university, but will still reserve
to the athletic board the power of instruct
ing him as to his action in those meetings.
To bring better harmony among the
members Of the board the Clapp men are
now trying to secure the removal of DR..
Edwin Maxey from the position OF faculty
representative, which he has held this year.
DR.. Maxey is the faculty member who
stood with the students in their fight on
DR.. Clapp last winter because he saw the
situation in the same light they did. He
favored a training table and believed DR..
Clapp was not the man to fight for re-
tanning 1t when the question came before
the conference.
The students would like to see Or. Maxey
retained on the board. He is liked by
them for his stand for a broader policy
In Cornhusker athletics They look to him
to keep athletics in the ascendancy at this
school. Should he be removed they would
feel that their cause-which is the cause
OF wanting TO put Nebraska In the lead
among the Missouri valley schools-had re-
ceived a mighty hard blow.
The election of the faculty members for
the board will be settled next week. First
the senate nominating committee will pre-
pare a ticket, which will be presented to
the senate and ratified by II. There are
six faculty Members of the board. OF these
DR.. Clapp. Profs. Wolcott and Waite and
DR.. Daies will hold over from this year
DR.. Condra may be elected to succeed Prof.
Phillips, who resigned three months ago.
The fight on DR.. Maxey may result in the
failure to ~re-elect him. In this case Prof
Fossler will probably be elected as his sue
cessor.
BASE BALL WAR