Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-24


All attractive business connection /
: whether or not to enter the COVE
his allotted time on Tech foot ball I
this fact will not count against him
In the above connection the writer
S.as received a letter from II. ]. r"
which is printed herewith as being
in line with my desire that the al
legged attitude of the Army foot ball
authorities toward the appointment
of intercollegiate gridiron stars be
thoroughly canvassed. The writer Is
a man who occupies high and re-
sponsible position. the nature OF
which places him peculiarly in touch
with both the Army and Navy serv-
ices. His name, if given, would be
generally recognized.
Critics Are Hesitant.
"There seems" he writes, ito have
been a hesitation on the part of sport
ing writer's to comment on this drift
toTard professionalism. This is prob
ably due to the same reluctance which
the general public has felt in admit
ing to itself that one of our great
service schooIs-to both of which we
have been proud to look upon as ex-
ponents of clean sportsmansh1p-ha
in its desire to win, allowed UNFAIR
methods: for that is what it amounts
to in the last analysis.
The sole argument advanced to
sustain the practice-that crack atm
,letes make the best soldiers and they
want all they can get or them-is tne
veYiest caJn0ufage as applied to their
s1oot ball recruiting. If the idea that
!. athletes make the best officers is
sound. why not develop 1t on broad
lines and encourage interclass 1901
ball contests and give other cadets
chance to become major generals, in
- S-lyS
star from some other college? Also.
why confine this selective process to
foot ball?
-The principal qualities developed
by foot ball are courage, team play
and quick thinking. These qualities,
Invaluable, Of course. in a good officer,
are inherent in many other sports.
Yet we hear Of no special inducements
to top men Of other colleges to come
TO West Point to play base ball. ten
The exceiience Of the Involvement
system seems confined to foot ball.
what Records show.
DO the records prove anything in
the argument? We have never heard
that the foot bail men of West Point
gained quicker promotion or made
more envfable records in their profess
who never made any team. for that
matter. Certainly the galaxy OF i'm
ported stars of the past have not out
stripped anybody. Would 1t not pc
better to admit, as an honest west
rointer once , dia, sn naan WE got 'nese
Most of US remember that when
DAILY, the wonderful backfield player
for three years at Harvard. entered
West Point there was some lifting OF
8 enter the Military Academy. There
was some outspoken criticism for per-
hitting . grown man to play a game
Ike foot ball against youngsters. and
II was suggested that West Point and
Annapolis ought to adopt the limit
rule prevailing in the larger univer-
stiles. However. as Daily was popu-
lar player and played q clean and
hard game the matter drifted by. But
his advent certainly put West Point
"a few years later we find McQuar-
re and Oliphant in West Point the
latter an all-America back and a
graduate Of a university in Indiana
Their game was built around him
for three years. Last year. when
and a half dozen Of their best
players lost to other colleges. West
Point drew French and the Storck
boys. They played this fall. and are
good for two years more.
scarcely had the dust settled over
=
lighter and more skfllful team from
Annapolis than the papers reported
that Boynton, another aI-Amer1ca
back. about to- graduate from Will
1iams, and two crack players from
Boston College have been offered ap.
year. Has any one the ineffable nerve
70 suggest shat these players are
sought to improve the military stand
ing Of the West Point graduates?
Seen N UnspoftsmAAltke.
There Is only one reason. and that
emo is unspoftsmanlike and fatal to
west Points honor. If persisted in,
Hf West Point should win the 1921
service game by the use OF these SIX
Imported players they could never
again hold up their heads in college
sporting circles. There is more glory
and honor in playing hard-fought
losing game with q legitimate team
than in trying to win by such meth
DDS. To remove temptation from th9
patf, OF the youth West Point should
ADOPT the three-year limit rule. An
napolis would probably agree, as III
leporting record IL above reproach-
.rheres another point. not quite
germane to the argument, but inaie-
ative of the extent of the evil Ap-
pointments to the Military Academy
arr not easy to get. Aside from few
anoointments by the President. they
are usually earned In competitive e1.
iamfnations by congressional districts
Hy what influence or pressure are rep.
/, sesentatives persuaded to overlook al,
= tber candidates and nominate foo,
b sl1 stars?
~rhis is a very long letter, but 1t !.
- Afifying to have you call attention
70 : the matter; it is currently dis
s.,r. ssed In clubs and amateur sporting
cir, ees, and I have never heard bu
@ne opinion on the question"
Copyright. 1901