The log cabin Democrat., 1916-11-25
ALLEN WRITES ANENT
 NORMAL A. A. A. HITCH
Association President Gives His Yer sion of Normafs Application for
 Membership.

J. R. Allen of Pine Bluff, president of the Arkansas Athletic Association, has written to the Log Cabin Demo- crat regarding the application of the State Normal for membership in the association, which was refused. The letter follows:
 Editor Log Cabin Democrat:
 1t IS not my custom to engage in newspaper controversies, and I don't expect to do it now. 1 simply desire to correct the impression that coach Estes of the State Normal has tried to make In regard to their application for membership in the A. A. A. To understand this affair it will be nec- essary to give little bit of history.
 On October 25, Mr. Wilson of the Log Cabin Democrat wrote me and asked how a game of football could be arranged between Hendrix and the Normal. l then suggested the fol- lowing ways: CD The Normal join some recognized association. (2) The Normal join the A. A. A. (3) Get the permission of the executive commit tee.
 The Normal made no attempt, so far as l know, to put anyone of these ways into effect until November 20. On that date I received the following letter from Mr. Estes, dated November IF:
 MT. J. R. Allen, Pine Bluff, Ark. Dear Sir-The Arkansas State Nor mai does hereby make application for membership in the Arkansas Athletic Association.
 Some time ago before we had any idea of joining the A. A. A., we signed a contract to play Arkansas College a game of football November "A. This contract calls for $50 forfeit if the game is cancelled by either team. If our application is acceptable, we ask permission to play Arkansas College. 1 Yours very truly,
 G. D. Estes.
 l replied to MT. Estes as follows: MT. G. D. Estes, Conway, Ark.
 Dear Sir-Yours of the 17th, in re- gard to playing Arkansas College after becoming a member of the A. A. A. to hand.
 l am enclosing bulletin that 1 sent out several weeks ago. l have strictly adhered to the policy outlined in this bulletin. l believe 1 told you in for mer letter, when you made complaint i that was not fair to the Normal, that l had not granted nor would 1 grant pc, mission to the members of the A. A. A. to play schools not belonging to some recognized association. Under no circumstances could l grant your school, as member of tue A. A. A., permission to play Arkansas College. Arkansas College joined the association on October 25, played Hendrix on the 27th. Just one week later she played Henderson-B Brown. On the very day she played Hen Ter son. Brown she withdrew from the A. A. A.
 If the Normal really desires mem bership in the Association, 1 would suggest, before you fill out the en- closed application, that you get in communication with Pres. J. M. Work man of Henderson-Brown, who is working on plan by which the col leges will be independent of the high schools. 1 believe you college people can get together and work out some plan that will be acceptable to all the colleges. There should be little trouble in this. The interests of all are the same.
 Unless you can agree on Dr. Work mans plan, or some similar one, l fear there is little likelihood of an agreement under the present constitu- tion. l hope that the colleges can agree on something, am really tired of this hide e-and-seek business. Yours very truly, J. R. Allen. Now, if Mir. Estes really wanted to join the association, he has thrown away a great deal of time since hls withdrawal. He has even thrown away a great deal of time since De- tober 25, plenty of time to have made arrangements in writing without hav- ing to hurry things over the tele- phone.
 When he called me l told him that would not give permission to play Arkansas College. However, l agreed to take the matter up with the com mittee A majority of the members opposed the game.
 When I called him and told him that the committee opposed the game, he said he would join anyhow. natural l ly desired to know what he intended to do in regard to the Arkansas game. He would not say whether he intended to cancel the game or not. He sad he wanted to join the association and that he was coming in in good faith. I asked him if he was, why he would not say what he intended to do Tn re- gard to the Arkansas game. lie re- plied to this by asking me whether It