New-York tribune., 1910-02-27
IGNORE N. Y. U.CLAIM
MAY PLAY FOR TITLE.
Columbia Williams Basketball
Game Erpected.

Undergraduate opinion at Columbia dur
ing the last week has been taking shape
in regard to the status of the Blue and
White basketball team far as the So
called intercollegiate championship OF the
East Is concerned THE Columbia Spec
tator," in commenting editorially on the
subject yesterday, said
We think that Columbia would be glad
to settle this basketball discussion by play
ing a game with the team claiming the
cha mpionship. provided. of course, that the
claim can be justified. At present there
seems to be two college fves aside from
Columbia which claim the Championship
These are New York University and Will
Jams. AS to the former. we fail to see how
1t has any claim whatever. since they have
been beaten by both Rochester and Col
gate. And even if Columbia should defeat
New York University, that would not set
tie the championship dispute, since the
claims of Rochester and Colgate would be
Just as good as those of New York Uni
rersity.
The only possible claimant that has not
been defeated to our knowledge is Will
Jams. This team seems to us to be the
only one having fair claim to the East
championship and we think that Co
lumbia undergraduates would be only too
glad to see a Contest between Williams and
Columbia on some neutral court. 1t is GER
tain that Columbia cannot play every team
claiming the championship, and Williams
seems to be the only one which has any
claim that is at all supported
Despite the publication Of this editorial,
however. the basketball management MAIN
tanned its silence. 1t is understood, how
ever. there is a feeling that if there
is any post-season game for the Eastern
championship it will be with Williams. A
challenge has already been received from
Williams to play a game in the Troy
armory on the evening of March g. Whether
this challenge has been accepted could not
be learned yesterday, but it is safe to as
that if the Columbia Management
has not already begun negotiations for a
series of games with the University OF
Chicago for the national championship the
Williams game will be played.
Aside from the basketball question, how
ever, the management and members of the
Columbia swimming team are beginning to
worry over the future of that branch OF
sport in the university. This season the
swimming and water polo teams Jared poorly
in the Pennsylvania and Princeton duai
meets. the only ones in which they have
taken part. Both Harvard and the College
of the City of New York have given up
swimming for the remainder of the season
on account of the poor showing their re
spective teams have made, and the can
collation. of the dual meet that Columbia
was to have held with Yale last night
makes it look as if Columbia had decided
to do the same thing.
Last year the university committee on
athletics brought the wrestling team up
with a round turn by announcing that the
sport would be abolished so far as inter-
collegiate competition was concerned II
there was not more generous support of the
team It is now feared that the same meas
ures may be taken with the swimming and
water polo teams, although nothing definite
has been SAID on the subject
Because of the poor condition of South
Field, the Columbia soccer team had 10
abandon the game scheduled with Montclair
for yesterday afternoon, and the opening
of the regular spring season will be de-
layed a week. the first match OF the year
being played with the Cameron football
team next Saturday afternoon. This Will
be little more than practice game, for the
Columbia players have been unable to get
in any real work as yet
Baseball practice is getting a poor
start this season. Dave FultZ has not yet
arrived to take hold of the team and only
eighteen candidates have reported to j. }.
O'Conne11. the captain, for preliminary
work in the cage. 1t is believed that when
the coach gets to work next week there
will be a large squad on hand. Columbia
will open her season on March 26, less than
a month off with d game with The College
of the City of New York.