The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-22
COLLEGIANS MAY RUN
BOTH WAYS AT ONCE
Barlow :. Weeks Gives Opinion
of Contradictory Rules
on 4. 4. L. Books.
RACE FOR CLUB SUMNER

A. the request OF Gustavus 7. Kirby.
chairman OF the advisory committee OF
The intercollegiate \. \. ~ A., Justice
R,rtov :. Weeks as chairman OF the
LEGISLATION committee OF the \. A. u.
se,tled a point yesterday in favor of the
-lrht OF college athletes to represent
athletic clubs in the summer season in
.n,te of the fact that the university to
which they belong is "A member OF one
n the associations OF the A. A. L. The
decision Is Of Importance because " a
different construction had been placed on
the contradictory rules In the \. a. Y.
handbook il would have meant the with
drayal Of Columbia University from the
Metropolitan Association, which It Joined
only last month.
columbia Joined the local association
9th the idea OF competing in the junior
cross-coun;ry championship and at that
time no notice was taken of the eligibility
rule which expressly provides that an
athlete who Is member Of one
organization IN tho association shall
moi represent another club In tho
association within ono year unless
the club originally represented shall have
oisbanded or practically ceased to exist.
Then there Is an A. a. L. rule which per-
mlts an athlete attending college TO trans
fer 10 an athletic club In his home district
during the closed college season. that is,
between Juno and october 1. In his
letter 10 Justice Weeks asking for a ruling
an these contradictory clauses Mr.. Kirby
says In part
specifically. let US take the case of
Lawrence Beatty, who Is = resident OF
the city OF New York and a member OF
the New York Athletic Club, as we'll rs "A
student OF Columbia and captain of its
athletic team. During the scholastic year
Mr. Beatty is not permitted by his uni
versity to represent other than his uni
versity During the summer vacation
Columbia does not desire It's athletes To
represent IT, as there is no control and
no team.
MY Interpretation of article Y. OF the
Constitution has always been and to-day
10 that a student may represent his col
lege or university during the academic
year and his club during the summer
vacation. irrespective Of whether or not
such college or university is "A club men,
Der OF a district member OF the A. a. u
I am sure that this was always the in
depreciation OF our late president, James
z sullivan. for he and j have had many
talks on the subject and We have both
consistently urged college athletic asso-
c.tons or the universities themselves &c
become members of a territorial member
Of the A. \. L. Now II II Is becaus,
Columbia has done that which the Anna
'.-- ..hie'ic I'c!c- nc. &C :..:- ys..:
past been urging II to do. and thereb,
finds itself in a far worse position thar
II It had not become such a club member
then there is only one thing left fol
Columbia to do and that Is to Withdraw
from membership in the metropolitan as
ISOLATION.
The reply OF Justice Weeks clears tn,
matter up not only for Columbia but FOL
harvard. Yale or any other college or uni
wrsity which desires to join a local
association 80 that their athletes ma.
have the benefit of competition In asso
cston championships. II follows:
IL am OF the opinion that the propei
construction of our rules in regard tc
the right OF a student attending a schoas
tic institution to represent a club by trans
FER OF registration during the period from
June TO October I. will permit a studen
10 transfer TO a club. even though tn,
athletic association OF the scholastic in
stitution is a member OF a district asso
clifton OF the A. A. L. In the case I,
which YOU refer ] am OF opinion that tn
students at Columbia University are On
titled to transfer their registration from
Columbia University to a club betweei
June | and October l."
There WAS a feeling in some quarter
Yesterday that this decision was the open
Ing wedge by which the New York A. &
would seek TO obtain the right TO US
Columbia athletes as point scorers 70
the club in the coming Junior champion
ship meeting. That there Is no groun
FOR such an Interpretation Is shown b.
he Statement; OF Mr.. Kirby that Columbi
athletes will not be allowed to represen
any outside organization during the AGA
dem!c term. That position was taken las
winter and the example has been followe
by other colleges such as Dartmouth an
Colby. which sent delegations TO the NEE
last year and will he represented agai
N the meet next Tuesday.