The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-28

HARVARD AND PRINCETON
BEFORE PUBLIC DID
lneligibility of Legore and Others Reported to Them by
Yale Before Announcement Was Made, Says
Dean Briggs of Former.

CAMBRipoE. Mass. Oct. 21.-The frs
official statemen, made by the Harvard
athletic authorities regarding Yaie's re.
cent disqualification Of Harry Lseare
the football and baseball player. and OF
several members Of thu university base.
bail nine, IL to be pubiished in to-mpr.
rows issue Of the Harvard AIss~sMS BwI.
letin.
In an Interesting article which praises
Yale's attitude of sportsmanship Deaf
lie Baron r. Briggs Of Harvard. who d
chairman Of the athletic committee a.
well as presiden, OF the National Inter,
collegiate Athletic Association Of Amer.
lea, contends that Yaie's attitude viii
cement the friendships Of the un1verri.
ties. but that, at the same tins. Har'
ward takes no satisfaction in her rival,
loss OF some sterling athletes.
Paragraph No. ! presents a hitherto
unknown fact In connection with th,
case. Dean Briggs writes to the Boue
tin as follows
A few facts about the Yale ath-
letes who have found themselves dis
qualified under the Yale eligibility
eN's oAF'aAa bC StlAtttiy NEOWh
CD Their fneligibility was reported
by Yale to Princeton and Harvard
before any pubic announcement
CD Neither Princeton nor Har-
ward wOuld have protested these play
ers: and. so far as Princeton and
Harvard were concerned, Yale was
free 70 use her own Judgment.
CD Though the rules OF Yale.
Princeton and Harvard are fundamen-
a1I ILL., -- ---- L. A---l -
q understanding n On no
Intercollegiate agreement now in force
Examination reveals IN the three sets
of rules considerable differences.
90 The five players Themselves
withdrew before definite action by the
Yale Athletic Association.
t5) The a Athletic Association
in the persons Of It's chairman and
treasurer generously % on itself the
blame for the unfortunate position of
the five players.
II is difficult to see how any college
could have acted more honorably than
Yale. and impossible to md two men
sensitively and generously right
minded than the chairman and the
treasurer of the Yale Athletic Asso-
citation.
To cynical or sceptical persons II
may seem Incredible that the five ath-
letes, who must have heard endless
talk abou the professionalism Of sum-
mer ball. were substantially innocent (:
IL is at least equally incredible that a
group OF the best Yale athletes should
Willingly jeopardize their amateur
status by openly doing what invited
investigation and would o bear II.
TIL endless talk they have heard may
itself be one cause Of their ignorance.
Nothing is more bewildering. nothing
is viewed in more varied and CONTRA
dictory way than the ethics and
the academic result. OF summer ball
playing. There Is the INSTITUTION which
believes that a man nay work his way
through college by pitching In sum
mer leagues n remain in the college
nine there is the institution which
d~isqualihes a man who plays in a
game in which a professional takes
part on either side and there are all
manner OF intermediate institutions.
Every amateur team takes expenses
out Of the gate receipts. IL those re-
ceipts are sufficient. and few men.
young or old, whose expenses are paid
lea ascetic lives. h Yale players
had their expenses paid. We nav no
evidence that they received more. and
we have their own testimony that they
did not.
This testimony and their allegation
of ignorance every fair minded man
must accep: first, because. on general
principles. they should have the bene-
ft Of the doubt next, because they