New-York tribune., 1917-12-27
College Sports
Will Be Sifted
AT Big Confab
Graduate Managers Meet To
night-Big Gathering at
Astor Tomorrow

College sports, their continuance, i'm
proycment, or perhaps radical alters
ton for economic purposes during the
war will be the big topic tomorrow
among the college men who will gather
for the annual conference Of the Ma
tionsl Collegiate Athletic Association.
the scene being the Hotel Astor
The first shot in the big conelaye will
be fred tonight, when the Graduate
Managers Association will meet at the
Hotel Martinique and discuss some
vital recommendation TO the big ses-
sion tomorrow. IL is proposed TO rec
ommend a curtsiment Of the footbsn
schedule OF 1918. especially the pre-
season games. This year they were :
PLAYED AZ a loss and served little or
no good in developing material.
Pennsylvania will fight hard Tor
resumption of college baseball next
wear. and it is understood that the
Quakers' idea will meet with plenty OF
opposition.
All classes Of collegians interested IN
amateur sport are expected 70 De on
formally they will represent the Inter
collegiate Association of Amateur Ath-
letes Of America, the intercollegiate
Basketball Association, the Graduate
Managers Association, the Athletic Re.
search Society, and the Directors OF
Physical Culture.
Expect Favorable Attitude
The magnet which will bring all these
men together is report that Colonel
Palmer Pierce, president Of the y. L
A. A. and president Of the War College,
will deliver the views of President Will
SON on the athletic situation among the
colleges. As far as can now be learned
these views will be in every way favor
able to the continuance OF all branches
of sports at the colleges throughout the
United States.
At the very start Of the war the Pres
ident came out strongly for athletic
training as being the one great road
toward the development OF the soldier
and he has seen the proof of his wis
dom in the types of manhood which an
swered the call 20 the colors from every
state in the Union.
Colonel Pierce will also voice the
views of Secretary Of War Baker and
Secretary Daniels of the Navy. and as
they 100 have put themselves on record
as favoring athletic sport as a medium
of training il is hard to see where the
sports OF the colleges are 20 come IN
for an adverse knock.
Last spring when the /. c. A. A. A. A.
championships we're abandoned Yale,
Harvard and Princeton were mainly in
strumental in the decision reached.
One prominent collegian who did not
agree with the abandonment OF the
track and field championship OF the In
tercolle giate Association was Gustavus
Town. Kirby. OF Columbia, an ex-presi-
dent of the controlling body and also
an ex-president Of the Amateur Ath-
letic Union. lie was Of the opinion
that It was a foolish policy, and now he
is in favor Of holding the indoor cham
pionship and resuming the outdoor
track and field contests next spring.
Big Three" May Face About
There was report last night thac'if
the y. c. A. A. delegates to-day and
tomorrow are able to show the reason
why, Yale, Harvard and Princeton will
buckle on the harness again and pre-
mare teams for the intercollegiate.
What may come in the radical line to-
morrow is strongly worded recon
mendation to the I. c. A. A. A. A. about
raising the standard OF athletics
among about half dozen OF the small
er colleges. 49,,
For a number Of years several OF the
minor colleges have done very little
toward the popularizing OF track and
field sport As a general rule they are
elected to membership in the !. {. A.
A. A. A.. and in order 20 comply with
the rules of membership, enter few
men for the annual meet. Perhaps the
next year they may drop away, to be
elected again the third year. rms
elocting and dropping has been sort
Of established practice with some small
colleges, and the method has never i'm
proved the calibre of their teams.
Next in Importance to the address
Of Colonel Pierce will be that Of DR..
Harry L. Williams, a Yale graduate
and now graduate manager Of the Uni
versity of Minnesota. He is member
OF the football rules committee, and II
his policy of the last season should
presage the keynote OF his address he
will urge return Of football activity
during the season of 1918.
DR.. II. p. w. Faunce, OF Brown Uni
versity, will talk on "Athletics for the
Nations Defence" and George +. Vim
cent, former president of the Uniyer-
sity Of Minnesota, will make an ad-
dress in favor OF athletic activity. 1t
will be an all-day session at the Astor
tomorrow.