Evening star., 1915-01-18
BY H. c. BYRD.

The scholastic basket ball honors fol-
the District seem to lie between West
ern and Business High. to judge by the
work of those two teams In the pre-
liminary contests and in the opening
conflict. None of the other quints has
shown as good form as the Red and
White and the Stenographers. and the
manner in which Western disposed OF
the St Adams outfit in the opening OF
the schedule last week apparently In
dicates that the Episcopalians Will not
lie strong enough TO win the title.
OF course, this is based solely on the
showing of the Quints in the early
games Eastern High or St Alban
may beat out either of two fives men
toned as being the most capable, but
IT is not probable. The Georgetown
Props are not as strong as in former
Years and the Army and Navy Greps
do not seem to be so well represented.
either. Friends. Gonzaga and the Army
and Navy Academy have fairly good
teams. but mono has shown strength
enough for prediction that it will
prove sufficiently formidable to figure
as strongly for District championshi p
honors as will Western and Business.
Last week an excerpt from the re-
port of President IIihben of Princeton
University to the board of trustees.
touching on the problem of too much
organized coaching and too high sal
ares in connection with college ath-
lctics, was printed in this column and
some comment made on the question.
1t is interesting to note that a New
York writer took occasion to say some
thing relative TO the same matter in
this mornings issue of his paper:
president Hibben of Princeton Uni
versity, like DR.. Richmond of Union
college. failed to strike responsive
chord with the big ma aiorty of gradu-
ates and undergraduates when, in his
annual report. he asserted that college
athletics We're suffering from an over
organized system of coaching. which he
characterized as quite absurd and
The unnatural incubus of superim-
posed system which tends to make pup
pets of the players and which limits
the spontaneity and free play of their
natural initiative AS has been said
before In this column, DR.. Hibben is
right from an ethical point of view. but
wrong in measure from the practical
side Extremes are always dangerous
and lead to abuses. but the only way
10 set the instruction that really counts
and which is so necessary when so
much is demanded of varsity teams is
to pay for il and pay well.
Efforts have been made, both in base
bSIl dNd loOt pdil, TO COntrOl the aCt1Nl-
ties of the coaches when games are in
progress, to the end that the players
should not be mere puppets and that
more emphasis should be laid on per-
sonal initiative. The foot ball rules
'"nnittee went so far last year as lit
rally to chain the coaches to the
'reuch. and further efforts no doubt will
30" made TO control this particular
"'use. The trend of college athletics
is along Sounder and better lines than
tn the past, hut the almost national
characteristic of Americans to drive
dong and win at any cost cannot be
controlled by any drastic rule of thumb.
~ can and should be regulated, but the
utting off of a paid coach would work
"'lN q distinct hardship and bring about
"ts"ontent and internal strife, unless.
1crchauC". the millennium was reached
H'd all colleges in the land could be
persuaded to accept the ideal and to
r.ay the game along the same lines"
What should be one of the most in
teresting basket ball games of the To-
cal season is to be played Wednesday
night between the Catholic University
and George Washington University
quints. The contest will be PLAYED in
the National Guard Armory, which
should give George Washington a
slight advantage. While the odds IA
vor Catholic L. to win. it would not be
a surprise If the Hatchetites were to
get away with the long end of the
score.
Catholic u is due to meet with two