Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
Foot Ball Systems in Conflict.


The schools and colleges of the Pacific
coast are now witnessing duel between
the American and the English systems OF
playing Rugby foot ball. The threatened
overthrow of the American by the English
game has aroused the supporters of the
American game and enlisted the serv-
ices of William T. Reid, the old Har-
| ward player and coach. who is endeavor-
ing to put the American game on solid
footing in the secondary schools.
1t will be recalled that when the fight
against the alleged roughness of the
American game was made few years
ago it gained the most Roadway in Cali
fornia. In fact, at both Leland Stanford
and the University of California the Eng
fish game was substituted for the Ameri-
can. When the rules committee amend
ed the playing code of the American
game it's California critics would not
be convinced that the game was safe
one and chung persistently to the new
game. The result of this agitation has
been the almost total elimination of the
American game from the schools of Cali
fornia. But now that the new rules
have demonstrated that the American
game has been greatly improved its sup
porters intend to make fight for its
reintrOduction into the schools of the
state. AS Reid is connected with one
of the biggest preparatory schools OF
California lie is peculiarly fitted to achieve
this end.
The salvation of the American game as
an intercollegiate sport depends prima-
rily upon the schools. These institutions
supply the college athletes. And If the
men now entering the universities and coll
leges of the state know only the English
game the doom of the American kind is
sounded The fight for the survival of
the fittest will be watched with much
interest, especially in the east.
A Basket Ball misunderstanding.
The suspension of the intercollegiate
Basket Ball Association for the period OF
year has already borne fruit in an un-
seeming squabble between Columbia and
Pennsylvania as to which should be en-
titled to the championship in this sport.
In the absence of a regular intercollegiate
schedule there is no official method Of de-
terminating this honor. The consensus OF
opinion, however, is that the honor be-
longs to Columbia. Both Columbia and
Pennsylvania played virtually the same
members of the old league. Columbia
won all her games. with the exception of
the final one with Pennsylvania. The
Quakers. on the other hand, lost once to
Columbia and once to Yale.
AS Columbia and Chicago, the western
champions, could not come to an agree
rrent for poSt-season series to settle the
national championship, Pennsylvania chal-
lenged the westerners. This challenge.
however, was declined. because as result
of a canvass for the opinions of the east
ern colleges as to which of Pennsylvania
or Columbia deserved the title the decision
was in favor of Columbia.
Since the Intercollegiate Association Sus-
pended activities for year in the hope
that this would reduce the tendency to
devote too much thought to this game. and
also to eliminate some of the intense RI
valry, 1t would appear that ii failed of its
purpose and accomplished no good to any
one Whether the association resumes its
activities or not Is a question. but it is TO
be hoped that for the good of the sport,
which needs a strong controlling hand,
that it does resume active oversight of
this game, which has come TO be the most
important Of the minor sports.