New-York tribune., 1910-01-03

some of the larger universities. but Har-
ward and Columbia have now pledged their
support, and l am told on good authority
that Cornell Is likely TO see the light and
lend its help to good cause. princeton,
too may be ready TO join the association
l,efore another year rolls around. and if
Yale should follow suit the association
would be national in its scope
There was disposition on the part OF
some of the delegates to go too FAST and
Professor Peck, of Syracuse, suggested
that the time had come for the association
to declare its independence, but wiser coun-
sci prevailed and possible friction was
avoided The association has done much to
raise the standard of college sport, but
there are a number of problems that must
be solved chief of which perhaps is the
QUESTION Of summer baseball, with Its at
tendant commercialisn. rather agree with
Captain Pierce, who said, Better a broken
arm from football than a broken conscience
from baseball" I have been looking for
ward to the promised definition OF What
IS an amateur" A treatise on the subject
was presented, and the definition may come
later. 1t will be interesting.
The Brighton Beach Racing Association
has adopted rather crude way of an
nouncing the fact that it will conduct a
running race meeting at its track at Brigh-
ton Beach next summer 1t has been forced
into false position through what appears
to be failure to make peace with the
Jockey Club, or at least get the necessary
assurance Of support, before advertising the
closing of stakes for what it is pleased to
call a proposed programme Why pro-
posed? It looks as If the Brighton Beach
Racing Association was feeling along in u
blind sort of way. In spite Of this the
Jockey Club, in my opinion. did a small
thing by disclaiming any responsibility for
the stakes. as advertised in the Racing Cal
endar. as it is bound to injure the Brighton
Beach Racing Association and limit the
number of entries. If it was a necessary
precaution, 1t was nevertheless an un-
fortunate one. Dates must be allotted to
Brighton Beach or a war in the courts pre-
cipitated, which the Jockey Club can III
afford to bring about at this time. The
Brighton Beach Racing Association did not
face the music in the troublous time for
II cling in 1908 and lost the confidence of
hcrsemen and many followers of the sport
But it has certain rights which cannot be
overlooked.
Walter Camp tells me that the sugges-
tions he made for changes in the football
rules, as published in The Tribune on Sat
urday, were in response to a request from
the Pacific Coast. It strikes me that the
suggestions, while rather novel in two or
three cases, are worthy Of consideration by
II rules committee here, and no doubt
will be presented
Chess is something more than pastime
and ii is interesting to note that Albert B.
Hodges. the well known player, will de-
liver course of lectures on the subject
before the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and
Sciences this winter. The American Chess
Bulletin, in its current issue, has the fol-
lowing to say on the subject:
Much has been done for the cause of
chess in this country by metropolitan
thusiasts who make Brooklyn their home.
but nothing accomplished heretofore has
had quite the same deep import as the re-
cent decision of the Brooklyn Institute of
Arts and Sciences, one of the foremost and
influential institutions Of the kind in Amer
lea, that chess is a proper subject to in
Many people, including most newspaper
editors, hold the notion that chess of ne
eessity must be classed purely as a sport,
forgetting or ignorant of the fact that
there is an aesthetic side that appeals not
so much to the competitive or connbativfe
spirit as 70 the taste that is cultivated ana
discriminating.
The skating war is something more than
tempest in a teapot. and it illustrates
once more what a small thing will bring
about hostilities. Edmund Lanay, the anna
tour champion, failed to pay registra-
ton fee of 25 cents. A principle is in
volved, TO be sure, and, so far as can be
judged from the conflicting statements, the
Eastern Skating Association is in the right.
1t seems a pity, however, that a season,
all too short, should be marred by a lack
of harmony among those who control the
sport.
Matty has grown tired Of writing insur-
ance policies during the closed season, and
has taken to writing books in the time he
can spare from billiards and indoor base
ball. The great pitcher OF the Giants is
versatile, to say the least.
II the new year which is now with us,
full of hope and promise, is as happy a
one for sports as that which has passed,
the regulation greeting is uncalled for.
HERBERT.