New-York tribune., 1911-03-04
ATHLETIC BOMB
Hiqh Schools Break Away from
League and Declare War.
RADICAL STEPS MAY FOLLOW
James e. Sullivan Suggests an
End of Interschool Sports
for a Time.

After nearly eight months of almost con-
slant trouble with the Public Schools Ath-
letc League. the High School games COM
mittee threw off all guise and appeared In
its true colors Yesterday afternoon. admit
ting that II had severed connections with
the governing body.
The clew which led 10 this admission was
discovered on the tickets printed for the
high schools swimming meet, which Will be
contested in the natatorum Of the City Col
lege on Friday night. on the face OF these
tickets appear the words ''interscholas'ic
swimming meet" No mention of the Pub
lie Schools Athletic League is made. This
is In direct opposition TO the rules OF the
league. which state that all tickets for high
school athletics must bear the stamp of
the league.
The meet is 10 be run under the rules
of the high schools games committee and
not the rules of the Public Schools Athletic
League. Or. Newton explained this fact
by stating that tho high schools games
committee was not in any way connected
with the Public Schools Athletic League
and that it was standing on its own feet.
Since the games committee has declared
war with the league talk has circulated
that the members OF the games committee
would be brought up on charges OF insub'
ordination. This. however, is improbable.
Men interested in scholastic athletics
were seen yesterday. including James +.
sullivan, DR.. a. *. Aldinger, Or. Dinghy.
of Morris High School; Or. Newton, OF
Townsend Harris Hail. and others.
Mr.. Sullivan. secretary Of the Amateur
Athletic Union. and a member OF the
Board of Education. said:
| We know that after the experience OF last
| year with professionals IN the greater New
( York high schools, and with the second
| fasco in the recent basketball tournament
something is wrong in scholastic ath!eucs.
/ We hoped that after the thorough exposure
of the unsavory conditions found IN the
| high schools last summer and this winter
/ things would lie changed. We Thought
| that the lesson taught the schoolboys
through the wholesale disqualification OF
professionals who We're playing as bona
fde amateurs in the high schools would
! prevent forever a continuation OF Such un-
| sportsmanlike practices.
| There has never been time that the a.
| rectorS Of the Public Schools Athleuc
! League or the administrative officers OF the
= league have asked the high school princi-
pals TO continue members. All that has
! been asked was that schools which entered
! into the league obey its rules ana teacn all
for which IL is known to stand INC ac-
/ high schools games committee In breaking
! away from the Public Schools Athletic
| League. if the information advanced by
| members Of the games committee 10 you
| newspaper men is correct, Is certainly de-
plorable. l cannot understand how body
| of men, representing all that tends toward
| the development OF our future cltlzenS
! supposed TO teach morals as well as the
required course of study, could come forth
and do as is credited.
! With the corruption which has crept into
our schools there seems no other way out
! of the fearful conditions which exist than
| for the Board Of Education 10 lead the way
and abolish in this district at least for
period of two years. all interscholastlc com
petition and confne athletic ACTIVITIES en-
tirely 10 individual schools.
Competition, when not cleanly and hon
estly conducted should be discontinued. II
We can't play fairly In our hlgh schooE
what our schools stand for-obedlence tC
our superiors-then why have athletics al
all?
While It is true that such radical actor
on the part OF the Board Of Education
would cause havoc among the schoolboys
il might be the best thing that ever nap
pened here. II the board takes this pro
nounced step and abolishes interscholasu'
competition in all high and elementary
schools the situation Will he cleared up.
DR.. A. X. Aldinger. assistant director Of
physical training in the public schools OF
greater New York and assistant secretary
of the Public Schools Athletic League
when asked what he thought Of the steps
the high schools had taken, replied:
It is hard to understand what the mem
bers of the high schools games committee
are driving at They Lave nothing 10 lose
by being under the direction Of the PUBIC
Schools Athletic League. If YOU remefn per
the condition Of affairs in hish schooIs pc
fore DR.. Gulick took charge you VIII kno"
N.A-- l.st
charges and counter charges and all was
confusion 1t seems TO me that all that i
necessary Is TO have simple committee
which is empowered to settle an dlspu'I,
NAV be that the high school men nave
been agitated by this time to take care
OF the high school athletic actVltles theH
coroe o,it ali right The developments ir
the next wear will show which Is the InoI'
efncient body TO carry on sucn an ehor
nous task as the running OF athieucs III ai
our high schools.
DR. Homer c. Newtown. Of TOWNSEND
Harris Hall. chairman Of the swimmin'
committee of the high schools. said:
Do YOU suppose that we would print ou
| tickets othe, wise? OF course We purpose
ly omitted any reference to the Punn
Schools Athletic League, as We don con
slider ourselves q part Of that DodN an.
, longer Could you get any otner lnpTeS
sion from the wording on the tickets thai
that we have broken away! ne DCNS y
!, that meet will compete un-er the rules
the high school games committee W.
did not issue any Public Schools Athleu
League entry blanks. rs the rules or IN
league re1uire but used our own blanks
signed by each principal of the school iron
which athletes are 10 compete
The public Schools Athletic League med
ais will not be used for the meet We Wi
purchase our own medals from the gat
receipts and a subscription gathered 1Ioil
each school The medals VIII not conIili
the Public Schools Athletic League die. W.
, have die Of our own. which Dr. Bryan
of Commerce will select OF course, TN
, is necessary. as we no LONGER nave an,
right 10 use the seal of the Pubic School
Athletic League. SinGe we cohs'ue' o"i
! selves apart from the league
: AS for officials. won't say that tner
: viii not he any Public School Athleu
League officials present but as lar as
know competent men have been invited I
, ofilciate .,..., l.. .,,,,,,o, r.,
{ roiative 10 the severance OF relations be
; .ween the nigh schools and the Publ
schools Athletic League from elsewhtr
; and our tickets show what me coliiIlit J, & {
, did at the last meeting. | might state ina
Mr. Wright. Of De Witt Clinton. or III
Denbigh principal Of Morris High, woul
be able TO enlighten YOU niue H NOR -
! tbis matter by giving you as puJhc record
the complete minutes OF the ri,sbe1 Sst Ineef5 Sc
| al which things were accoiHpilSHeu WIN
resulted N the break.
Neither Mr. Wright nor Or. Denbig
would have anything to say regarding u
cotton taken. DR.. Denbigh. who Is chalr
man of the publicity bureau of the Prin
, c,pals' Association, was considerably con
t,eed when he was asked whether he woul
r,ake a public statement. Il have absolute