Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-08
LEADERS TO MEET
TO.D|SCUSS ISSUES
College Body Will Present
Statement of Policy at
April Is Session.
BY II. C. BYRD.

BY ii. c. BYRD.
Differences that recently seem 20
have cropped out between the National
Collegiate athletic Association and the
Amateur Athletic Union may shortly be
settled one week from today, April Is,
in New York City, committees repre-
Senting these bodies go into conference
in an attempt to iron out every wrinkle
in their relationship. For some time
matters between the governing boards
of these organizations have not been
going as well as they might, and it is
hoped that the conference will result
in a satisfactory outlining of the con-
troll each will exercise in amateur ath-
letics and the part each will play in
maintaining high standards in all fields
of sport.
The most recent cause of the more
or less estranged feeling is the result
of pronouncement by the Amateur
Athletic Union of a campaign planned
by it to take into its membership all
the colleges in the country and thus
bring under A. A. U. control the ELI
gibility Of college as well as club ath-
leteS. This announcement was accept
ed by the governing heads of the Ma
tional Collegiate Athletic Association
with an unlimbering of heavy artillery
probably has been and is very little
possibility that the Amateur Athletic
Union could carry out even a small part
of its announced intention, those re-
Sponsible for carrying on the business
of the National Collegiate Athletic As
ISOLATION determined that the situation
should be brought to a head and that
the right of the colleges to run their
own athletics and determine the eli
gibility of their own athletes should be
enunciated and maintained.
No Compromise to Be Made.
The meeting in New York next week
Is in no sense to be gathering in
or effected. The colleges have nothing
to compromise, and their attitude I'M
doubtedly and rightly, will be to present
in official form what has actually been
their policy for years. And after pre-
Senting their statement of policy it will
be the task of the colleges to convince
the A. A. U. representatives that. the
interests of all amateur athletics will
be best conserved by the A. A. u. falling
in line with that policy.
Whether or not representatives of the
colleges are successful in carrying their
point with A. A. U. men, not the least
doubt exists that they will stick to
their guns. In any conflict with the
A. A. U. the colleges have nothing to
lose. except that which might be lost
by the possibility of their unregistered
athletes not being allowed to compete
in the Olympics, which competition
now is controlled by the A. A. U. How
ever If this came to showdown. it is
certain that the A A. u. eventually
would find itself in an untenable
position.
Statement Is Prepared.
It is definitely known that a formal
statement of policy for presentation to
the A. A. U. representatives in New
York has been prepared by the National
Collegiate Athletic Association commit
tee, but this statement has not been
made public and probably will not be
until it is presented at the meeting.
However. one of the men most promi-
nent nationally in college athletics who
took part in preparing the statement
of policy, has this to say in connec-
ton with the situation, and what he
says embodieS in principle and spirit
the official statement of policy # not
the actual text:
We are glad of the opportunity to
take up with the A. A. U. in an entirely
friendly spirit consideration of certain
matters which we consider fundamental
to good understanding between the two
bodies. We believe that at the present
time there is in certain respects con-
fusion of jurisdiction as between the
two bodies, and we fear that this mis-
understanding and friction may con-
tinue unless this confusion can be
cleared away.
THE strength and administrative
efficiency of the colleges in athletic
matters have undergone a marked de-
velopment since the A. A. U. was
founded The outstanding fact of the
athletic history of America in the, past
40 years is the development of a Ma
tion-wide system of amateur sport car
ried on by intercollegiate competition. |
We believe it to be a fact that today |
the great majority of amateur athletes |
who represent America in track and
field events in the Olympic games are
men whose proficiency is developed in
the colleges.
I'VE believe that no man can serve
two masters, and that while an athlete |
is an undergraduate in a college of
reputable standing he should be re-
Sponsible to the administrative officers
of that college, and to them only, in |
athletic matters rs well as in other
phases Of his college life.
See Need Of Cooperation.