Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-31
Ed Atherton's Broom
Sweeping Cleaner
Than Expected
Colleges That Thought
Selves Beyond Reach
Hit by BombsheII
BY LAWRENCE PERRY.
erial DISPATCH to The Star.

RpeClHl DlSpatcN 10 Inc Star
NEW YORK, May 31.-Has the
Pacific Coast Conference reared a
Frankenstein and equipped him with
weapons? 1t begins to seem that
way. 1t really is serious. Thirty-six
freshman athletes have been liqui-
dated by Edwin Anterior, the high
commissioner of athletics in the
West Coast organization. More will
follow. EmiSSaries from colleges
extending as far East as New York
and North to Massachusetts, are on
the coast, or soon will be there,
picking up discarded freshmen and
unwanted high school footballers.
More than year ago faculty
representatives of the conference
passed some stringent eligibility
regulations. All college groups have
stringent regulations, but where they
are too stringent they are apt to be
overlooked
Atherton. the former Oman hired
to investigate conditions in the con-
ference, made lengthy report and
eligibility rules passed by the con-
ference were based on this report.
He was appointed commissioner to
enforce these rules.
Takes Job Seriously.
Commissioner Atherton took his
task seriously. He assumed he had
been engaged to take 1t just that
way. The first thing he did was to
crack down upon certain conditions
at Southern California, University
Of California and u C. L. A STAN
ford-the name regarded as stand
ing for absolute purity-Oregon,
Washington and other members of
the conference snickered. 1t was
pleasant to them to see the big
trio getting its come-upance.
But some viewed Atherton's &C
tivities with alarm. They feared he
was taking things too seriously.
Such being the case, the obvious
thing to do was to make certain
blue laws less blue. This might
have been done at the annual con-
Vention at Del Monte last winter
and no doubt the Golden Bears. the
Trojans and the Uclans were willing
to do it, But the other seven, I'M
touched by the high commissioner,
exalted In sense of moral
superiority, showed no willingness
to cooperate. At any rate, the big
subject related to keeping pro foot
ball out Of the Los Angeles Coliseum.
So far various reasons the eligibility
rules were not ameliorated.
Atherton losses Bomb.
Then this month came a lightning
bolt. Commissioner Atherton, prob
Ing into the seven universities that
remained immune from his uuesting
finger, put that finger upon them.
Eight of Stanford's freshmen were
declared ineligible and Is Texas and
Oklahoma boys, all ready to migrate
to Palo Alto. were Sidetracked.
Alumni activities were discovered
and revealed. Oregon, Washington,
Oregon State were put on the carpet.
If" remarks Bob Zimmerman,
the Los Angeles commentator, they
thought Anterior would not be
thorough, they did not know their
man"
Evidently not. Now Southern
California. California and U.C.L.A.
are doing the snickering. But serious
thinking enthusiasts out on the
coast believe this is no time for
laughter. They think Atherton
should be deprived of his sharp
weapons lest athletes hailing from
Palm Springs, Sacramento, Fresno,
Yuma and other West Coast adj
dresses be found chasing the pigskin
In the South, the Midwest and in
the East.