Bisbee daily review., 1916-11-05
STANFORD PRESIDENT BITTERLY ARRAIGNS
 AMERICAN FOOTBALL
Tells Students They Must Play Only Gentlemanly English Sport; U. s. Football Is "Too Rough" Says the Professor.


 SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 4.-Presi- lent Ray Wilbur, of Leland Stanford IT, University, in a recent statement put an end to any hopes that the. ad- herents of the American intercollegiate football at that institution may have lad that the Palo Altans would return o the national erid;ron game. Dr. Nilbur's edict is that his students nust adhere to the British game of lugby Or discontinue football.
 At present there are as many as tight games on Saturdays at the Stan ord farm" pr. Wilbur's statement laGe it clear that general participa- -ion rather than concentration on elev- q men is what he seeks, and his ob- ection to coaches is not because they re paid, the Stanford rugby coaches .aving been paid for years, but be- ause he considers that in the Ameri- an game the coach works for the de. enpment Of the few, rather than the Iany.
 Advocates and opponents of Rugby n the campus-and they are said to e about evenly divided-seem to gree that Stanford is out of the run ing as an intercollegiate football Iac- or the more that her only considerable ompetitor the University of Santa
 lara is reported to be wavering t0- ard the American game. Whether. lore general participation of the tudent body will offset whatever dis dvantage this entails remains to be cen. With the scholastic require lents advancing by jumps, many tudents express doubts as to the .bllity of the student body to keep p and still break into the American ,ame as a powerful factor. This is articularly true in the far west be- ause of the tremendous distances thousands of miles-traversed by in- ercclleSiate teams, to play a single anne. Three or four such trips in a eason make hole in the semester.
 Dr. Wilburs statement in part is as ollows:
 Having set standard after a care ul survey of the past, present and yrobable future, Stanford cannot and Fill not vaccilate. The soundness Of his position will become increasingly vident as time goes by.
 There has been rapid growth in ! he resentment felt by many univer- iTv mon aud r1u=--or-f+,- f, a-,1..z 4. .ard intercollegiate athletics. largely seems to me because of the eX- faneous coach and the by-products nat so with him, professionalism nytAlng for victory, secret practice in 3otDall, failure to keep from inter- erinS with the university work of layers, and so on. American football. :. 'ell known as a coach's game, is the reatest menace to intercollegiate thletics. Those of us who believe in friendly athletic relations between eighboring universities, and in the ne spirit of emulation and in the 5readth of acquaintance thus develop !. d. look with much concern to the ' lture.
 Some years ago the University of 1allicrnia and Stanford, fully ,coeni- {. ant of the evils of the American game | s It had developed, decided to change O Rugby. In it they found a satisfy ns substitute which left nothing to be ! iesired either in the way of a sport 'r spectacle. Proper instruction in his game is desirable and possible, , Jut 1t does not lend itself to becoming ! coach's contest. Various types of !. physique, strong individual possibili- ! les and team work all come into it. U can be played alike by boys and Aiddle-aged men,"