Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-05
GIVEN CLEAN BILL.
Foot Ball Commended by COL
Iegiate Body.
THE BASE BALL PROBLEM
Colleges Still Contending With
Semi-Pro Question, So Often
Discussed.
BY EDWARD R. BUSHNELL.

For the first time since the organization
OF the National Collegiate Athletic Asso-
citation five years ago, foot ball was given
a clean bill of health at the annual con-
ventfon last week. According to Chair
man Dr. II. l.. Williams of the University
OF Minnesota, the brand of foot ball played
In 1912 was entirely satisfactory, and as
a result 1t was recommended that no
changes be made for 1913
The foot ball committee appointed by
this association does not have final dis
position Of the rules, but since it composes
one-half of the intercollegiate committee,
and good many members Of the old body
are likewise in favor of making nc
changes, the chances are that the game
will be played this fall under the identical
rules of last year. This action was not
unexpected. for the reason that ever since
the foot ball rules have been the subiec,
of amendments there has been a dispO-
sition on the part of the committee to give
every radical set of amendments at least
two years in which to make good. 1t l.
not often though, that new rules give
such universal satisfaction as did those OF
1912
Base Ball Still Problem.
With foot ball in satisfactory shape, the
association has had to confess complete
failure in solving the base ball problem
College base ball is not now and never
was satisfactory. Not only are college
ball teams honeycombed with semi-pro-
fcssionalism. but the games are played in
an undignified manner. From the earli-
est days of intercollegiate sport college
men have been working away at the semi
ha1 hJ1t
they are no nearer its solution than
ever.
Glenn s. Warner. the physical director
of the Carlisle Indian School, quite as
tonished the other delegates with the
statement that. because of the evil effects
the national game had upon the Indian
students, the authorities there had been
obliged to discontinue the game alto
gether. What Mr.. Warner meant was not
that college base ball in itself is detri-
mental to the morals of the Indian stu
dents. but rather that success in college
base ball offered so many opportunities to
play semi and professional ball that the
game had to be abandoned to eliminate
the dangers to the students after leaving
the school
The semi-professional faint which
caused such drastic action at Carlisle is
quite as strong in many other colleges OF
the country. All OF the big universities
have on their books rules which absolute
what is known summer base ball
that is, the acceptance OF excess expense
money, board and other Eratuitous fees
for their base ball skill. In spite of this
rule it is absolutely Impossible to compel
it's enforcement. 1t can only be done by
making students recognize it as a dis
honorable act to violate the rule.
Brown University, desparing of finding
any solution to the problem. few years
ago passed a rule permitting students to
MAY with semi-professional teams and
still to retain amateur standing as repre-
sentatives of Brown. While not great
many students have taken advantage of
this leniency, the Brown authorities ex-
pressed themselves as quite well pleased
with it. The rule. however, is a confess
sion Of Browns failure to solve the prob
lem.
The writer has always maintained that
the only way to solve it is to have an Or
ganization of all the big universities to
control base ball just as the /. c. a. A.
A. A. controls track athletics. There is
more temptation to PROFESSIONALISM base
ball players than track athletes, and