The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-17
NC MANUAL WASHINGTON AND RIPPLE GRID WINNERS
L ALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, Oct. III think it
is pretty swell the way the
loo1nal teams are responding to
owen D. Youngs call for benefit
games. Just about a year ago I pro-
posed the same plan but it didn't
eet TO first base. Possibly this was
que TO the fact that have always
been wrong.
AZ any rate at the time it was my
hugRestion that it would be a good idea
A the various colleges got together and
paved games for the unemployed. ZEAL
i1ed mat at best this was lust gesture.
Out II seemed to me that it might work
OUT TO be a happy gesture. I mean coll
reyes are not in fotball for money--not In
tne sense that professional promoters are
anyway. So it was nv thought that II
the colleges played a specified game for
the lobless it would be a sporting thing.
AT the very least it. was as sound a
proposal as anybody else had at the time.
Certainly it meant some money for gen.
eral fund. For the past several years I
nave been reading statements by the best
brains Of the country that prosperity IL
Just around the corner ana that better
times are sure to come. Very likely this
IS true. but in the meantime I see no
reason why the various charity funds
should not be encouraged.
Admittedly employment is most to be
desired but lacking that some sort of a
helping hand is better than nothing. There
seems to be a sentiment in some circles
that in a situation Of this nature the COL
leges should not be asked to participate.
] beg to ask why not?
A day or so ago. Yale disclosed that the
football games had drawn more than a
million dollars and that this money paid
for the entire athletic program at New
Haven. I think it is safe to assume that
this is typical of all the large universities.
II II
TOR better or worse, football has
Il become a tremendous thing in
undergraduate life. Ofhand, I
would say that Able Booth is the
best known man at Yale and that
Nal Stevens, the head coach, is the
next best known.
Whether this is as it should be I have
my doubts But from the standpoint Of
academic, neither Yale nor any other uni
versity sells its athletic program to
prospective student The tuition is based
wholly on scholarly offerings. Football
and other sports supposedly 20 with it,
sort of sprinkling Of parsley on brains
and eggs.
Conceding that sports have grown be-
yond the wishes and control Of the edu-
Gators. the fact remains that sports have,
as a side line, developed into a million
dollar business. So then. when national
crisis develops, 1 fail to see where it en-
tails any great sacrifice on the part Of
the educators to divert part of this
revenue to a national need,
To repeat. I think it is swell the way
practically all of the colleges have fallen
in line with MT Youngs idea. ] think
1t would have been sweller still-if there
is such phrase-if they had done as
much without waiting for Mr.. Younger
even WiIliams-to suggest it.
Harvard has been one of the important
universities that has seen fit to stand
aloof It has been said that you can
always count on Harvard being different.
In this instance Harvard at least is con-
sistent Whether Harvard is right is
question. Personally, I think Harvard or
any other university that takes similar
stand is all wrong.
I have been reading the newspapers for
a great number of years and do not re-
call that Harvard has ever refused
Hardness gift-snd the Hardness gifts
have added materially to the advance OF
culture and education in this country
whether it is more humane to emphasize
culture an dedication than to relieve sui
fering is something which Harvard seems
resolved to decide for itself, and in its
own Way.
] promise not to sermonize on this sub
ject again. To begin with it is entirely
too big for me to play with in even
meager way. But I do want to give
cheer for the colleges that have pigeon
holed traditions and backgrounds. In
times such as this think everybody will
agree that every little bit helps.