The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-03-11
MICHIGAN BOARD
ONLY OBSTACLE
Students Plead for Return to
Will
Not Down.

Ann Arhor. Mich, March 1.-THE
University of Michigan campus is at
present in the throes Of a conference
discussion which the daily practice of
the baseball squad and the coming en-
counter with CornelI's track team fail
TO interrupt. Following the meeting
of the board in control OF athletics
early IN the winter, at which the some
what ambiguous statement was made
that the board is considering the con-
terence question in its relation to
Michigan" it was hoped in ONE quar-
tiers that the question was dead and
buried.
However. like Banquo's ghost, the
conference question will not down. and
in spite of all efforts of the athletic
department at Michigan to bury 1t be-
You'd hope Of resurrection. it persists
in s%pringing up every now and then to
plague those who would be glad to
preside at its wake.
Students Want Return.
The conference question at Michi-
gan amounts to this: The students
want to return to the western body:
perhaps a majority Of the members of
the faculty have similar sentiments,
and a large proportion of the alumni
of the institution who still retain an
III NllSIlSdH s dlIllCIlCS
are similarly inclined. But the little
coterie which controls athletics here
is opposed to Michigan's return. and
as long as sentiment in favor of the
conference is not allowed to become
too strong Michigan will make no eff
fort to get back into the conference.
Fol a time the student body was
led to believe that Michigan was not
wanted in the conference. and that IL
II did no lo11. - ,,1,,l1 Ln-- l.-~
Bile itself and ssuln a position far
beneath its dignity. During this time
also the students were told that Mich
igan had been kicked out of the con-
ference. and it was not until last falls
investigation Of the conference situa-
ton was started that Michigan stu
dents of the present day learned that
Michigan voluntarily withdrew from
the western body. and that it was up
to it to make application for ~reinstate-
ment If it ever cared to return.
Editors Learn True Conditions.
This fact came out at the time the
editors of student papers at Michigan
and the various conference colleges
into the conference matter at some
length. What the men who repre-
senred the Michigan Daily learned at
that conference was, indeed. news to
Michigan students. For years three
things had been assumed on Michi-
gan's campus. They were that Michi-
gan had been kicked out Of the cor
ference because Of a tendency to win
too many football g-mes; that the
conference didn't want it back, and
that Coach Stage Of the University of
Chicago vas the inveterate enemy Of
Michigan and was constantly doing ev-
erything in his power to prevent Mich
igan from getting back into the con-
ference.
1t is acknowledged on every hand
that the question which caused Michi-
gan's withdrawal in 1907 are no long,
er weishty enough to prevent Michi-
gan's return. Two of the questions.
the retroactive feature Of the three
year eligibility rule and the five game
schedule are no longer of any impor-
tance in n discussion of the matter.
Only Matter Of Faculty Control.
The former would no longer affect
any Michigan players. and the latter
has been remedied by conference &C.
ton. There remains then the ques.
ton of the maintenance OF a training
table and that of faculty control. Nc
one at Michigan entcrtains any se.
rious doubt that the training table
question could not be satisfactorily ad.
justed. leaving the question Of faculty
control alone to be settled.
The action of the senior literary
class this week in voting almost unani'
mously in favor of Michigan's return
ment, and it is believed that II Tho
matter were left to a referendum o.
the students, Michigan would NJ lonl
remain out ~ the conference.