Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-08
HUSKER ATHLETES
STAND BY NATION
Ready to Do Their Part on
Field of Battle If Country
Needs Them.
BASE BALL MEN AT WORK
BY JAMES LAWRENCE.

~ JAAf&&~S 80 w ~~e~eH~.'
Lincoln, April Especial. )-When
it comes TO war University Of Ne
braska athletes will be ready to do
their part, several members of the
foot ball, basket ball and track teams
here indicated
The authorities make it clear that
the minute it appears that athletics
will interfere with the nations busi-
ness Of war there will be cessation
of activities.
None of the athletes belong to the
Nebraska National Guard, part Of
which has already been called into
federal service, DR.. L. ]. Stewar,
ascertained today. Very few Of tn,
foot ball, track or basket ball mer
drill with the cadet battalion, which
includes two full regiments OF mer
and which, it is expected, will be one
of the early reserve units mustered
into service.
The Nebraska athletic heroes indi.
cate they will be no less active OF
the field of battle, if it appears til,
country needs their services. There
will be no question but that a large
proportion OF the foot ball men and
athletes in other branches Of sport
will volunteer il it appears the coun-
try needs them. The university au-
thorities will do everything to en-
courage enlistments and to cooperate
with the government in every way
possible.
Meanwhile, with the war prepare
tons on. training in different branches
Of university sport has gone steadily
forward,
Work During Vacation.
Although il was spring vacation,
base ball, track and spring foot ball
squads worked steadily under the d.
rection of Stewart, Rutherford and
Reed
Base ball is coming into its own
after an absence of six years from
the Husker menu. Equipment for the
squad, which had been delayed, ar
rived during the week and has been
distributed among the players.
Coach Stewart is planning to spring
a surprise on the Missouri Valley
coaches in base ball suits. The
Husker mentor does not believe in
shirts and has substituted jerseys
The uniforms are modelled along the
same lines as those used by the Pa
cihc coast teams and the Huskers are
liable to do a lot Of shivering if the
ueather ebapoks
Eddie Whitney, a former Omaha
High school base ball star, appeared
in uniform this week for the first time
with the base ball squad. He will try
out for shortstop. Whitney is the only
Omahan on the squad.
The Huskers will inaugurate the
base ball season next Tuesday when
the squad lines up against the Lin
coin Western league club. The col
legiate season opens with a game
against Wesleyan university the fol-
lowing Friday and the following week
the Huskers will clash with several
Missouri Valley teams.
Tune Up Track Squad.
Reed expects to tune up his track
squad with an interclass clash next
Saturday afternoon. The showing Of
the different men in this meet will
largely determine the selections for
the varsity squad
To further arouse interest Reed is
offering gold, silver and bronze
medals for the point winners and a
banner for the winning class.
Finney in the hurdles, Overman in
the distance runs and Shaw in the
weight events are regarded as certain
point winners.
Spring vacation prevented many
foot ball candidates from taking the
field, but the coming week is expected
to bring out fifty men. The old menu
bers of the squad will be augmented
by at least twenty freshmen fighting
for places on the team. Shaw, Rid
dell Wilder, Moser, Kositzky, Mum
and Ward are among the linesmen re-
porting regularly while Day, Kellogg,
Schellenberg, Cook and Hoadley are
backheld candidates. Most OF the
backfeid material Gomez from the
freshmen class which had the best
team ever put out at the university
by. the first year men and Stewart is
unhcsitatingly pronouncing it the
most promising material he has ever
had