Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-24

Without giving the matter much care
one way or another it seems that
good deal of time and energy has been
spent compiling facts that always have
been generally known, at least to those
in anyway familiar with athletics. Just
what objective the Cargenie Foundation
had in making the study, just what
Gen. Palmer e. Pierce had in mind
when he initiated the proposition in
the National Collegiate Athletic Asso-
citation, is not known, but if the definite
recommendations made as conclusions
TO the Carnegie report form that OBJ
iective then possibly good deal OF
somebody's time has been wasted.
No Startling Disclosures.
Press stories about the report have
failed to disclose anything of a startling
nature that has not already been known
If it was to learn that a good high or
prep school athlete has little difhculty
finding way to get through college
that is something that could readily
and truthfully have been answered by
almost anybody.
If 1t IVES, to state the case more af-
firmatively, to learn that colleges in one
way or another are helping athletes to
defray all or part of their expenses, then
the question could readily have been
answered in other ways much more
easily. If it was to provide neutral
medium through which all these de-
such helping" could be brought in
printed form before the public gaze,
then something may have been accom-
plished If there was possibility of &C
complishment in telling the public what
it in large part already knew. I'm
doubleday, though, this has been done
not without some injustices; that is, in
justices by comparison.
For instance, the report segregated the
black sheep, and the black sheep were
by far in the ma jority, and gave a clean
bill of health to small minority.
This may have been done after stat
ing conditions as the Carnegie investi-
gator in his honest opinion found them,
but 1t Is a fact, nevertheless, that some
of the black sheep are not so black in
comparison to some of those that are
painted different color by the founda-
ton report.
A report made after such a short
investigation Of local conditions in the
various schools, and without knowledge
OF the many factors having influence in
the separate universities, could hardly
hope to depict such an entirely ac-
curate comparison as to warrant saying
that any one university Is bad and an
other good and thereby set up a direct
comparison that through its wrongneSs
or lack of rightness creates an in
justice.
Inquiry too Limited.
No doubt the Carnegie report gives
its conclusions based on facts as they
found them, but as John Grifath, COM
missioner of athletics in the Western
Conference, is quoted as saying: mo
man in a 24-hour study of conditions
could hope to learn all about athletics
in any school"
The report is worthy of long study
and careful ANALYSIS. In it may be
found some things of real value to
college athletics and to foot ball in
particular. but some of the conclusions
reached have already been studied Snd
considered so much by the colleges
themselves and policies definitely
adopted that are so much at variance
with the recommendation made in the
reports as to make the recommendation
almost obsolete.
Take the question of paid coaches,
for instance. The report is said to
recommend abolishing them. but vir-
tually all college authorities have come
to the conclusion that a paid coach of
the right type is one of the most val