The Washington herald., 1917-12-29
Compulsory Sports at Col
leges Keynote to Meet
ing of National Colegi-
ate Association.

Of specialists"
These words IN q letter from Sec
retary Of War Baker, epitomize the.
sentiment of the 800 delegates pres
ent. representing student bodies total
ing more than 10000. who partici-
pated In the twelfth annual conven-
letic Association, at the Hotel Astor
today. The meeting. which lasted
from 10 a. m until after midnight, was
the most eventful by far in the organ
ization's history. It reached its cli-
max when these resolutions were
adopted late last night:
Resolved: That We recommend to
all educational institutions, collegiate
and secondary:
First-That athletic sports be made
subservient to the work Of military
preparation and be made therefore
an essential actor in military train
Ing
Second-That intercollegiate and in
terscholastic schedules be arranged
for so long a time and so far as ma
tional and local conditions permit. and
that all possible encouragement be
given to the development Of interna-
tional sports, with a view to promot-
ing the participating Of all students.
Third-That professional coaching
and the expenditures incidental there
to be reduced to a minimum.
Fourth-That there be no pre-sea-
son coaching or practice. no scouting
and no training table.
Fifth-That the number OF oficials
at intercollegiate games and their fees
be kept as low as possible.
And further be II resolved, That this
association reaffirm its belief in the
eligibility rules which II has already
indorsed, including the freshman rule,
and therefore recommends that there
be no lowering OF eligibility standards
during the present crisis.
Col. Palmer E Pierce. president OF
the association, pointed out, upon
opening the convention, that the or
ganization's membership had grown
from thirty-eight colleges In 1906,
when It was formed, to 164 now, in
Guiding four new members admitted
for the first time at this meeting
Georgia Tech, Trinity, Texas Agricul-
tural and Mechanical and New Hamp-
shire State. Col Pierce, who Is pres
ident of the War College, and there
fore qualified to express views which
would be favored by President Will
son. then stated the purpose of the
association, what IT stands for and
what it could do in the present crisis.
Among the 164 members are prac-
tically all of the leading colleges and
universities Of the country" he de-
clared. THE propaganda for the
spread Of athletics and physical train
ing has been most fruitful Ehe phys
ical fitness OF the men assembled in
fv-aF Fnfr hA 80
year as applicants for commissions
instances this"
In contrast he mentioned the ex-
aminations OF drafted men, among
whom only a small proportion had
received the benefits of college ath-
letics- More than 30 per cent were
unfit for military service" said he.
This is altogether too large a per-
centage and indicates the need OF i'm
mediate corrective steps. This asso-
citation is taking an active part in
this work through its efforts to spread
athletics throughout the student body
so that the less physically perfect will
receive the benefits involved.
1T Is highly important that the
college athletic program be continued
to equip young men for the reception
of military training. To attract young
men to the college nothing is more
important than the continuation Of
athletic sports"
After reading the letter, Secretary
OF War Baker, Col. Pierce pre-
sented the navy's attitude through a
letter from Secretary Of the Navy
Daniels. Colleges set the pace in
sending-no, in witnessing-the en-
trance of their choicest spirits into
camps and stations and cantonments
and ships where they could be most
quickly trained for military service"
ran the message from the navy's
head.
Young collegians who had trained
IN athletics were seen to possess an
incalculable advantage over their as
sociates vino had permitted delvins
in Greek roots to deny them time to
develop their muscles. Most colleges
have added military instruction, and
10 this training college athletics will
make the youths Mt for the service
calling for strength and ability to en-
dure hardships."
How will the younger men be
made ready for what they will
shortly be called upon to do? Col
Ieges will answer that question by
encouraging college athletics and
emphasizing those games which in
sure that all the student body will
be benefited by it Intercollegiate
games stimulate interest and should
be encouraged"
That the war offers q priceless
opportunity for appraisement and
revision was the message of W. H.
p. Faunce, president of Brown Uni
versity. who delivered an eloquent
address on Athletics for the Serv-
ice 70 the Nation" He favored
the preserving of strict eligibility
standards, saying 'in war time ev-
cry student should go to the front
,or work hard beside the front. The
student who stays in college and
refuses to study Is simply an aca-
demic Stacker.
I'VE cannot at this national crisis
say business as usual nor will we
announce business suspended We
do not want athletics as usual be-
cause they have usually been abus-
ed. Nor do we want them abolish
ed. But we want all business and
all sport, all work and all play. re-
lieved of superfiuity and extrava-
gance. stripped for action in the
nations service and co-ordinated
with the laboratory and the library
and the classroom in the endless
task of creating men At to be citi-
Eens of America"
DR.. ]. z. Raycroft. of Princeton,
member Of the War Departments
Commission. spoke on athletics at
training camps. He referred to the
constant need of diversion among
the men at the front. as well as in
the camps in this country and told
how athletics Instructors had been
assigned to every cantonment
How sports had taken hold on a
wholesale scale was indicated