Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-07-22
WEST BELIEVES IN
CONTINUING SPORT
Thinks Colleges of East Wrong
in Abolishing Athletics
During War.
SOUTH TAKES SAME STAND
Conditions Better Now Than
Last Spring When Cancel
lation Was Necessary.
SOUTH TAKES SAME STAND
(By SOL METZER.)


What does the West think rbout
this question of going ahead with in
tercollegiate sport? What II Is plan
ming to do? Now what the West, es-
peclally the middle west, decides to
, do Is of the utmost Importance be-
cause 1t will come nearer to the final
action Of every college-if we Judge
by past records-than the acticn OF
any other group of colleges In Amer
lea.
IL we but look back. we will find
That the middle west has long been
a leader In intercollegiate athletic
legislation and action. Its reforms
such as the one-year residence rule
and the freshman rule-have been al
most generally adopted. 1t has been
both pioneer and uide. The middle
west Is more democratic In its inter-
collegiate athletic relations than are
the eastern institutions. Instead of
big Ten" and 1t Is consequently
free of some of the prejudice and
lack OF harmony which is sometimes
characteristic of eastern college ath-
letics. Furthermore, the middle west.
because sof its systems of ..thletic
management, has been more generous
East. This has resulted ii better feel
| ing. Consequently smaller colleges
nre more prone to follow the larger
ones, the natural leaders, in any
move. Now what is the position of
the Middle West and tho West, to-
ward intercollegiate sport?
Athletes Flock TO Colors.
When war was declared such 1 nj
versities as Michigan, Minnesota,
Washington and Wisconsin abolished
intercollegiate athletics. Continuing
would have been like holding trottihg
races without horses: with only
drivers, sulkies, track and stables. The
colleges were open and the students
were there. along with their athletic
plants, but the athletes were elbowing
| one another for places in various bar
| racks. They got them too. 1t was
the same situation as was encountered
in the east at the same time. In about
every case the percentage of varsity
men to enlist exceeded that OF the
student body by substantial figures.
| Michigan. for example. with its $500
| male students. had 700 apply for ad-
mission to the reserve officers train
ing camps. A great many went into
various services as prvatcs; for in
stance, two full companies of 40 men
each went into the naval reserves by
June approximately 40 per cent of its
] athletes were enlisted and many more
of this class will get in uniform dur
! ing the summer. Two of its three
major sport captains are down to do
their "bit". I would there were room
to publish the honor roll OF all these
institutions.
To Establish Athletics.
d.
which abandoned sport at the out
break of war. have decided to re-es-
tablish It this fall. Michigan came
Into line with the announcement that
II would give It's football profits to the
Red Cross-the first institution to
take such a patriotic step-and Min
nesota seems In duty bound to do like
wise in that its representative pro-
posed a similar action by the eastern
institutions. Not only do the majority
OF the western institutions favor
giving a part OF the profits from ath-
letIcs to the Red Cross, but such q
plan Is practical In this section be-
cause such profits are moro evenly
balanced than In the east.
There Is an almost unanimous feel
ing thruout not only the middle west,
but the far west and south as we'll
that intercollegiate athletics should be
continued during the war. The four
colleges which discontinued them at
tho outbreak OF war. together with
Chicago, Iowa, Purdue, Nebraska,
Ohio state. Northwestern. Indiana, NJ
A. c., Indiana, Leland Stanford and
Nevada in the west. and Sewanee,
Texas. Vanderbilt. Georgia Tech and
Washington & Lee in the south. have
stated to mo that they will go ahead
Illinois alone seems doubtful.