New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-01
nv EDWARD r. BUSHNELL.

leagues, with preference lot hV'O'
teams.
An examination Of most OF these replies
shows that the men who saw no evii IN
playing summer baseball for money have
no scruples on the subject Of amateurism
and consider the whole problem from
selfish and individual point OF view. Ap-
parently they give no thought TO the per
manent effect II would have upon the
reputation Of their university and anna
teur athletics in general
That they do look upon it in his mar
row minded light is shown 10y the fact
that the presidents and faculty members
Of nearly all the big universities are
unit against the practice. Almost with
out exception. they contend that letting
down the bars in this manner would bring
all college sports into dsrepute and would
work havoc with the morals OF the stu
dent body
Colleges Oppose Summer Baseball
In spite Of the favorable opinions ex-
messed toward summer baseball by Cap
tain Blossom of Yale. Captain Rhoads OF
Princeton and others, the faculties ana
various college associations are almost
without exception more determined than
ever TO refuse approval to such doctrines
The National Collegiate Athletic Assocla-
ton. as well as the Western Conference
Collegiate Association. has gone on record
repeatedly as opposed to the pIactlce' III
order to set their personal and Official at
titude on the point the writer secured
statements from the heads of several
Eastern universities on this subject.
Among those who gave their opinions were
President A. T. Hadley of Yale, Dean l.. r.
Briggs. of Harvard; DIR. Albert II. Sharpe
the Cornell coach; President r. u. war
field Of Lafayette, George Meylan, pnysl'
cal director of Columbia University, ana
acting President Everett of Brown. Near
~ all Of them were strongly opposed 10
professionalism in college athletics. d.
sharpe. Of Cornell has radical ideas on
the subject He thinks ii is Impossible
TO prevent this sort Of professionalism
and declares L would be 4 good thing II
there were one amateur rule for baseball
and another for track athletics. with the
colleges uniting on some liberal ATTITUDE
toward summer baseball.
form various authorities were asked the
following four questions
/. Is it possible to prevent such pro-
fessionalism as summer baseball?
.. Is it desirable to have one amateur
rule for baseball and another for track
athletics?
?. DO you approve Of college students
earning money for their education by
PLAYING baseball during the summer and
letting them represent your institution in
amateur athletics the remainder Of the
year?
T. II YOU believe in the strict interpre-
tation Of the amateur idea in all branches
OF sport what united movement would you
suggest for the correction Of its general
violation?
Or. HadIey a Strong Opponent.
The most Illuminating and fatfooted OPP
position 10 summer baseball comes from
Dr. Hadley, Of Yale. His reply is given In
fun because it covers the subject thor
oughly and Is his first public statement on
the subject. 1t follows:
ut is not possible TO prevent such pro-
fessionalism as summer baseball. II is
not always possible for a college to pre-
vent men who have earned money by
playing baseball from concealing the fact,
but If each college will look out for itself
rather than for its neighbors it is pos
sible 10 reduce this evil TO minimum
THE only amateur rule l ever knew
that was of any good was found in the
Holy Scriptures: Thou hypocrite. first
cast out the beam out of thine own eye
and then shalt thou see clearly 10 cast out
The mote out OF thy brothers eye. 1t
seems 10 me that his applies TO all
branches OF sport alike. II is, unfortunate
Is. more honred in the breach than in the
observance.
Il do not approve OF n Yale man doing
i. because we have plenty Of boys who
play ball for fun who would be crowded
out OF the game by semi-professional
clement but II another college wants TO
play boys % that kind I have no objec-
ton. provided they tell us what they are
doing.
II think that the great trouble under
which We suffer to-day in a great many
more matters besides college athletics is
the idea that men cannot be allowed and
encouraged 10 do what they think right
without a united effort to bring everybody
10 a level OF uniformity
Il wish IL were possible for all our
intercollegiate associations to pay more
attention TO playing rules and less 10
eligibility rules. and let the colleges con-
cerned settle both their schedules OF
games and their questions OF eligibility.
For. after all. the thing that really
counts is not so much the letter OF the
rules that the college processes 10 follow
as the care with which II lives up to the
rules which IL has.
III you approve OF the general stand
ards Of your opponent in sports. play with
lin. and let him play such representatives
as he pleases. II you do not approve drop
him from your schedule and leave him 10
seek other opponents whose standards,
In your opinion, are more nearly like his
own. A man who is suspicious OF his op-
poncnt violates the principle Of amateur
sport much more fundamentally than one
who plays summer baseball and tells the
Truth about IL.
Dean Briggs OF Harvard, disposed OF
the whole question with the statement
that the Harvard authorities were OPP