Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-21
YALE NAN EXPLAINS ATHLETIC
POLICY; u. 5. MUST WIN VAR
Captain W. S. oyerton Tells Critics Why Old Eli Has Not En-
gagged in Football Contests With University Teams This
Season-NeW Haven Institution Takes Up Field Artillery
Work-Mitary Training First Thing Up for Consideration

Criticism has been heard in several
quarters of the course which has been
adopted for athletic sports at Yale
during the present year of America
participation in the war. Repeated
explanations of the peculiar nature of
the situation at Yale-where the work
of Field Artillery training particular
ly requires practically all. of a stu
dents extra time and energies-have
failed to set the matter right in the
minds of some long-distance observ.
ers. What was obviously intended to
be severe arrafgnment of the uni.
yersity's athletic committee, printed
recently in the columns CT the New
York Sun, has ELECTED from Captain
Overton ar answer which is here quot
ed because it sets forth 50 satisfac.
torily the attitude on athletics which
has been deliberately assumed at Ne"
Haven The letter reads, in part:
Yale University, ~ .(-.-
Reserve Officers Training Corps,
New Haven, Conn, Oct 20, 1917,
The Editor, New York Evening Sun. )"
Sir: In your paper Of October %.
1917, saw a caustic criticism OF
Yale's athletic stand. One sentence
states: There never has been any
real reason why Yale should not have
gone into football at the start of the
college year as most other unlversi-
ties have done" understand SINH:
lar criticism has appeared elsewhere.
It is because believe the papers
honestly mistaken that | feel 1t my
duty as the army officer detailed at
Yale, to reply. l do not use the word
explain" because Yale's position re-
quires no explanation. -. Yale wanted
football, but not if it conflicted with
government needs Yale has taken
the bigger view. She has held no false
ideas of a premature peace. Duty,
Honor, Country" is as thoroughly her
motto as it is that Of my own west
Point. 49,
Professor R. N. Corwin, chairman
of Yale's Board of Athletic Control,
asked me for all the football possible
provided it did not interfere with
military instruction. He put it square
" before me that Yale looked to me
to recommend precisely such athie'
tics as would assist the war depart
ment, which I represented. Could any
thing be more in accord with the
spirit of the American troops under
going German artillery fire as | write?
Many Drills
/ quote extracts from my written
recommendations on the subject:
Our drill Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays affords no time for ath'
letics. On Tuesdays and Thursdays
we have only two hours freedom from
academic work, namely from 1:45 to
3:45, D. m. Our field IS at such a dis
lance that little over and hours actual
practise is given. Our military
schedule is heavy one.
1.-THE games should be neither fresh.
man nor varsity, but R. o. 7. c. games.
Personally, l favor limiting the games
to the freshman R. o. T. c. T..
81 believed this would greatly as.
sist military training; that it would
be in accord with the true American
spirit; that the universities would be
represented in athletics by men pre-.
pairing to continue traditions already
made by graduates and undergradu-
ates at or preparing for the front;
that the games would have the mill
tary character fitting to war condi'
tions.
Horses must be used every after
noon-not only for instructing the
students-but likewise for exercising
the horses.
To Win the War .
an conclusion, as representative of
the war department, my recommended
lions must be solely with the view of
winning this war. believe athletics
can assist; if not, shall promptly
request their discontinuance. feel
that plans made with other universt.
ties should be subject to cancellation
if the work is found to interfere with
the military by ourselves or by any
of our competitors. In other words,
if schedule is made, it should be sub.
ject to change. Personally, l am a
football fan, and. as long as can, l
will stand by athletics; l know that