Evening star., 1922-02-10


Prof French said the matter had
been discussed at meetings of big
ten officials and that it undoub tedly
would be taken up again at The next
meeting of the conference in June at
Iowa City, Iowa. AIonZn a. StaEg,
athletic director at the University OF
Chicago and president of the west
ern conference athletic directors has
announced that the directors will
meet "at an early date" to- discuss
high school recruiting.
Present Rules Held Ample.
While declaring that he believed
present athletic rules and the atti-
tude of the public Were sufficient to
combat professionalism in sports in
big ten schools. Prof. French said the
establishment of college conferences
in all parts of the country. together
with the PRONUNCIATION of strict sport
rules by these conferences would do
more than any other thing to purify
college sport in general.
There is no doubt said Prof.
French, but that some high school
boys of exceptional athletic ability
are being paid to attend certain
schools in order to play some sport.
Il am confident that the authorities
of western conference schools have
no part in this practice. because they
are taking drastic steps TO break it
up.
IN such cases graduates or srouns
OF alumni SeIeTallE pay the expenses
of high school athletes. Alumni may
chip in an amount to send good
athletic prospect to their school. This
IS the worst form of proselyting and
the thing We are trying hardest to
break up.
whenever we find a boy who has
been sent to school on a pot made
up by alumni we refuse to permit
him to take part in athletics. Such
cases are hard to detect and western
rnnfaranra nth hnriti.S bpnlinU
every effort TO find some means of
eradicating this evil
Misguided in Enthusfn~m.
Alumni who try to boost athletics
at their college or university in this
manner are misguided by their en-
thuSia Sm just as surely as are men
who insist upon betting upon their
college team. At present some eass-
ern colleges send coaches over the
country scouting for good high school
material, and Inducements are offered
to stars to enter these schools. This
is demoralizing.
A series of college conferences
with strict sport rules would do more
than any other one thing to stop this
practice The various conferences
would not have to be guided by the
same rules or regulations Each con-
ference could Seek its own level
THE western conference, which was
the first such organization, has had a
athletic.t in the middle vest. and its
principles have been copied in the
formation OF the Ohio conference and
the Missouri valley conference"
VIII Benefit From Scandal.
The foot ball scandal. caused by the
playing of Illinois and Notre Dame
stars in a professional game at Tay-
lorville H. will have a fetal eff
feet upon college sport. Ircf. French
declares. because it will tend TO edu-
cate both the public and the amateur
players to clean up sports ana Will
make school authorities more alert.
when the public discovers thai 1t
is being humbugged in professional
foot ball games it will stop attend
ing them" Prof. French predicted.
and the public will soon learn that
professional foot ball games are actu-
ally staged by promoters only for the
money that can be made.
: Former college stars who play
sprpfessional foot ball for money do
EH9ts put the same spirit into their
"A college player gives all he has for
sthe glory of his school. y man paid
sto play will take no personal risk and
tonly pretends to be playing
s Stags Blames Gambling.
/ CHICAGO. February 10.-Telling
Show he had turned down an offer of
Isl 900 to become a professional while
soStenUlHS 1dlc ol S1.AV d "cChp <AAoA-
SEQ A. Stagg, Chicago athletic director,
Fin an address, blamed betting for the
sinroad of professionalism in college
sathletics.
I Nothing Is moro demoralizing than
fthe feeling How much Is in it for
Fmer Stagg said In addressing a City
Club luncheon. There is d funda-
Emental difference between the profess
sional and the amateur, and that diff
ference starts at an early age. The
Fathletic impulse starts in childhood,
sand the stimulus changes, as the boy
sgrows older. to that of emulation, of
sbeing a real part in social group.
s'rhen, as he grows still older. he be-
\ comes part of more organized groups:
and college athletics is one of these
developments.
AT that time competition becomes
rkeener and the group impulse be-
Z comes stronger. Then, as his skill