The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-03

I belongs to the State Association of Colleges. Auburn does not Every stu
 dent who enters the state university
 must furnish the entrance units re- | quired by this association. Alabama is not the sole judge of these require- ments, but she must fix them in ac- | cordance with the rulings of this as- sociation and under this association any student who can enter Alabama can enter any educational institution in the state. Auburn is the sole judge of her entrance requirements. She alone passes upon her entrance units and her decision is subject to no dis - pute from outside colleges of the state. As conseQuence-not as a matter ot theory, but of fact-Auburn can enter students before they can enter the university despite the fact that both , institutions require the same num- Der of entrance units; and in so en- tering students who cannot gain ad- mittance into your institution she ac- quires a certain advantage in secur- ing the best athletic material which the state deevlops. In this way sev- eral noted athletes who have been un- able to enter Alabama have entered and starred with Auburn. Examples of this are seen in the cases of Bradley Streit, Wynn, Hairston and others who have made recent football history at Auburn. Each of these athletes en- deavored to enter the state univer- sity but lacked the required units, and each immediately entered Auburn and made enviable- athletic records.
 "Now, so long as Alabama and Au- burn are not athletic rivals the state university is going to continue to be more or less passive regarding the class of students which Auburn uses on her athletic teams. And these stu dents are entirely eligible in so far as the g. l. A. A. rules apply to Auburn, since these rules only demand that they meet with the full entrance re- quirements Of the freshman class; but the fact of their eligibility does not lessen the handicap on Alabama, be- cause the university Is responsible to the state association of colleges for tho validity of the entrance, units granted each student while Auburn is not. But in the case that athletic relations are revived, Alabama undoubtedly intends, with the aid of Sewanee, Vanderbilt and other such institutions, to wage vigorous fight in the s. l. A. A to bring about an equal scholastic stan- dard for collegiate athletes. A resump- tion of athletic relations would mean that the state university with It's en- tire alumni would back such a fight to the limit and victory would moan that Auburn's athletic teams would suffer immeasurably. For then Au- burn, to remain a member of the as sociation, must yield her power as su- preme judge of the entrance reQuire- ments of her students. So long as the two colleges do not meet Auburn pc Iieves Alabama will continue passive and just so long will advantage accrue to Auburn.
 Those Really Responsible
 Auburn did not contemplate such a e.gt gtr,o f.4v, xxrha ra1a vra off, but she intends to profit by them as they have developed; and it Is her president and faculty who are keep ing her in this advantageous position. Last spring when President Borden Burr voiced his ringing challenge. An-
 burn alumni met him with equal spirit and immediately began efforts looking
 toward a renewal of athletic relations. For time it looked as If the move- ment would meet with success. Mem-
 bers of the Auburn athletic commit tee with whom have talked about the
 matter, state that a majority of Au- burns alumni attending commencement and a majority of the students were
 enthusiastically in favor of resuming
 these relations However, before vote could be taken their attitude had
 changed; for 1t was whispered around
 not that Bragg opposed-but that
 Auburn faculty would view such
 movement with extreme displeasure
 and that 1t would work irreparable in-
 jury to Auburns athletic teams. The
 proposition was immediately voted
 down.
 Auburn has been unduly silent re-
 garding her attitude toward Alabama
 and the facts as presented show that
 she has reason so to be. Even her
 alumni as a rule know nothing of the
 real situation back of the attitude Of
 their alma mater and it is highly prob
 able that they would not sanction such
 a course If they did know of 1t. They
 want to see Alabama and Auburn meet
 and therefore they criticize Tom Bragg
 and Bragg, being used to such criti- cism, takes 1t standing and in silence
 Meanwhile the men really responsible for Auburn's attitude are equally silent
 as they sec another shoulder the blame
 "The only solution of the problem as see it is for Alabama, with the neip
 of the institutions above mentioned. to force a collegiate standard for ath-
 letes in the S. I. A. A. Such a step
 would put your institution on an equal athletic footing with Auburn. the ad-. vantage accruing to Auburn through the present situation would fall
 through and the Auburn faculty un- doubtedly would allow its athletic com
 mittee to vote for a resumption of ath- letic relations with the state univer- sity. In all loyalty to Auburn, I want
 to see her first follow a course of fair play and open sportmanship. I know she inculcates that spirit in her stu dents and I want her to practice her unimpeachable teachings"