The Washington herald., 1917-07-15
COLLEGE SPORTS NOW
APPEAR FAVORABLE
National Collegiate A. A.. Sure of
Ruling in Favor Of Continu-
ing Athletics.

Followers Of intercollegiate athletics
are anxiously awaiting for the verdict
to be handed down by the executive
committee of the National Collegiate
Athletic Association, which will hold
an opening meeting at the New Will
lard Hotel on Thursday, August 2, to
take Up the question of continuing
college athletics next fall.
The outcome of this meeting is not
only of interest to the lovers OIL
college sports as word has been re
ceived from the American Intercol-
legiate Football Rules Committee to
the effect that no arrangements will
be made for the selection of officials
for the major games next fall unttl
after the proposed meeting by the Ma
tional Collegiate A, A.
Following President Wilson'S desire
to have athletics resumed next fall in
the American colleges the popular
opinion seems to point to its con-
tinuance. From every section of the
country there has been a demand for
a gathering so that a program could
be decided upon best suited to safe
guard the country's interest In its
present crucial situation and at the
same time to preserve college athletics
without a detriment to military needs.
Disregarding the advice of Mai.
Gen. Leonard Wood and other promi-
nent army and navy men, practically
every college of the country can
rcelled all athletics with the declara-
ton of war last spring. 1t does not
appear to have been a wise move.
Especially so II the counsel of our
prominent officials is to be taken as
a criterion such as should be the
case. Knowing. with the country at
war, the future would hold grave
possibilities, the entire collegiate
world seemed to have been thrown
into hysteria, and as a result ath-
letics were abandoned with appar-
emily nothing gained. Now, however.
there seems to be little question but
that athletics, will be continued next
fall.
Out Of necessity there will probably
be a deviation from the usual sys-
tenn used in most of the larger uni
versities. 1t has been contended, and
very properly so, that since the
freshmen will make up the largest
class in the colleges until after the
war, they should be allowed to par
ticipate in intercollegiate contests.
In accord with this view is no other
than Cornell. Graduate Manager G.
Erwin Kent of that institution will
be present at the national athletic
meeting vested in authority not only
to vote for the continuance of ath-
letics, but to vote in favor of per-
mittihg freshmen to play on the
varsity teams.
Yale, Harvard and Princeton. for
some unaccountable reason, are op-
0Csed to the continuance of intercol-
legiate games. 1t is true that these
universities have lost a great many
stars and their teams play would
he a bit more mediocre than usual.
but to win contests is not the sole
object of intercollegiate athletics
Other universities have lost just as
many stars as Yale, Harvard and
Princeton, but they are to start all
DN er again and develop more men OF
raliber rather than to sit back and
wait for someone to hand them in
tercOllegiate contests.
Yale seems to be in favoc OF hav-
Ing the freshman athletics continued,
but will not consent to placing a
varsity in the field. It certainly seems
to be far better to lift the freshman
ban and have athletics in a regular
way regardless of the outcome of the
contests.
In all probability, however, the ex-
ecutive committee will act 3Don the
opinion of the majority OF inc repre-
sentatives present at the meeting here
in early August and no matter now
rigid Yale. Harvard and Princeton re-
main in their refusal to vote for the
continuance OF athletics they will be
disregarded and the old adage that
the majority rules" will no DOUBT
be followed.