The Washington times., 1921-11-06

BY ARTHUR ROBINSON.
VIZ Z respectfully and cordially
" invite the attention of Yale,
W Harvard and Princeton to a
proposal which we believe will be
of great interest to all Yale, Har-
ward and Princeton men in the East
and Middle West, as well as to the
football public at large.
We believe that this proposal
contains all the elements Of true
sportsmanship, and we further be-
lieve that 1t is expedient.
We suggest that Princeton continue
its home-and-home arrangement Of
games with Chicago University, an I
that Yale and Harvard make simllnr
arrangements with two other big uni
versities of the Middle west--say
Illinois and Michigan.
Last Saturday Princeton played Chi
cago at Princeton, and next year
Princeton will return the visit Lnd
play at Chicago.
Chicago has pointed the way for the
other members OF the Big Three"
and we trust that Yale and Harvard
will follow Princeton's splendid sport
ing example.
Football Is no longer the exclusive
property of the big Three" secret
fraternities. Football is the great
American autumn game. II is as
much a public game as Yale, Harvard
and Princeton are public institutions.
Certain cliques and individuals col-
nected with the big Three" have af-
fected the belief that the public has
no proprietary interest in football, 1ni
these individuals and cliques have per-
sistently refused to accede to the pub
lies demand that football players wear
numbers so that the public. of which
all Yale, Harvard and Princeton mep
are a part, may identify the players.
The great majority of colleges now
number their players. and despite the
fact that certain cliques AM individ-
uals in the Big Three" fan 20 recoS-
point. we hope that even they will
perceive the merits OF the proposal we
now make.
Yale, Harvard and Princeton are
the big Three" simply because Of
the accident of time and traditional
rivalry. In the past they merited
the distinction, but Yale, Harvard and
Princeton are no longer supreme in
the world of football The mighty
occasionally fall, and they suffer
their share of defeats when they
emerge from their sacred circle and
engage some of the other strong
teams.
But by remaining the so-called
big Three" in the eyes of the public
the members of the big Three" as
sumo certain responsibility and OBJ
legation. Perhaps this responsibility
and obligation might best be weighed
upon jewellers pennyweight scale,
but II should be admitted and Il should
be discharged.
And we believe that the great ma
tority of Yale, Harvard and Prince
Enthusiastically in favor OF discharging
II. We believe that the great ma
jority will almost unanimously and
without equivocation endorse our pro-
posal. 1t is only the reactionary
cliques and individuals who must be
forced to submit to the general and
popular desire. They have been
having their own way entirely too
long on the subject of numbering
players, anyway.
What do you Yale, Harvard and
Princeton SPoRTSMEN say to this
proposal OF ours7
And what do you say to the pro-
r,osal that a day be set aside every
football season and designated as
EAST AND WEST DAY"-a day
upon which Yale, Harvard and
Princeton. representing three OF the
largest and most popular universities
In the East, will ANNUALLY meet
three of the largest and most popular
of the Middle west-one
year In the East and the next in
the westr