The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-12-01
GRID OUTLOOK AND REVIEW

to meet this situation. It is a new one and it does take time to size up new conditions even in college ath- letics. In another year let us hope for much in this respect. I know that the football player is both ready and will ing to do his little part in this re- spect. Surely victory means as much and more to him than to those who conduct athletics at the institution he attends, yet he is both ready and willing to set aside all considerations of victory If his athletic effort can be made to bring revenue for war pur- poses. So why not encourage him in this?
 We have not as yet settled down 10 war basis in our view of ath- letlcs-college athletics in particular. mere has been an unfortunate ten oency to criticize and the press of tnss land has, been somewsat misled. believe others will bear witness to this in many sections. As proof let me give two examples which am &C., qua1nted with. It is because of my Knowledge of conditions that T refer to W. & J.
 1440I We pNdL Tn a Dig game followed up this defeat with several newspaper articles reflecting on our patriotism because we had practically an entire varsity team back Immediately afterwards a monthly outdoor magazine attacked both the patriotism of the college and the team. In substance this maga- zine stated that the talk at W. & J. was all of football and of the chances Of our men making places on Walter Camps All-American eleven. It also stated that our team had returned practically intact, giving a list sof the supposedly more noteworthy perform CTS of a year ago who had returned. | As a matter of fact both the college press matter and the magazine arti- cle were not founded on fact. The magazine writer who cast slurs at the patriotism of this college failed to note that IS men, six of the varsity of 1916, were in service, that ten of 19 varsity men of the previous year had returned, that out of an enroll ment of $40 students in 1916, 104 were in service and 50 others had been re- 5ected, principally because of youth He also failed to note that but nine
 men of the 29 men on this years foot ball squad were of draft age, that i each of these men had a draft num- Der and would soon be called and that one of last years team was fy- ing in France when he wrote this un- i founded attack. The question that arose among the players upon read ing 1t was: What is the color o1 Hawthorne's uniform and what is his record of national servfce?"
 Just what good is accomplished in attacking the patriotism of college boys has never been made clear to me. They have right well responded to the call of their country and they are the men whom we must look to for leaders in this world struggle. Il i'll behooves any of us to insfnuate they are slackers and when this re- fection is cast at 20 boys under drafi
 age some of whom have been reject.
 ed, and at nine boys expecting to SC
 at any time, it would seem that the infallible citizen making such an at.
 tack is striking more at the war pol. icy of the government than at any
 thing else. All in all this is a poo
 time to be throwing mud, especially
 when the author may not be 8 brave
 soldier 7imseh.
 1 Copyright, 1917, by Sol Metzger.)