Evening star., 1941-01-06
Griffith Will Stress
Role Of Athletics in
National Defense
Big Ten Commissioner
Says Colleges and Schools
Must Condition Youth
BY FRANCIS f. STAN.
Earlier story on page A-l5.)

Earlier story on page A-15.)
The part played by football and
other sports in the national defense
program will be the theme of Maj.
John Griffith's address when the
athletic commissioner of the Big Ten
Conference delivers the principal
speech tonight at the Willard Hotel
at the 5th annual Touchdown Club
banquet.
Maj. Griffith, generally acknowl-
edged to be one of the foremost au-
thoritieS on amateur athletics in the
country, arrived in Washington from
Chicago at 1:50 o'clock this after
noon. Preceding. or due to follow
him here later, were many of the
brightest football stars of 1910, in
cluding Tom Harmon of Michigan,
Bob Suffridge of Tennessee, Charley
ORourke of Boston College, Francis
Reagan of Pennsylvania and Forest
EvaShevSki of Michigan.
Not many people are familiar
with the Importance of athletics in
wartime" " Maj. Griffith said. "One
of the reasons Hitlers act was made
easier was a program of athletics.
Under the Versailles Treaty, the
youth of Germany was prohibited
from training in army camps. In
stead, sports clubs were set up and
these organizations served to con-
dition the youth until Hitler came
into power and ordered compulsory
military training.
Colleges Condition Youth.
I'm this country, it is up to the
colleges and the high schools 'c
condition our youth. Maybe this will
furnish some idea. Approximately
100000 football players hung up
their football uniforms f te r
Thanksgiving Day. They are tough
ened and ready for anything. BY
March there will be between 5000. =
600 and 100000 equally we'll trained
because of basket ball"
First of the notables to arrive
for the banquet was Evashevski, cap
tain of the Michigan team and the
blocker who was drafted by the
Washington Redskins. Evashevski
arrived last night and spent busy
morning, first comforting with
George Marshal, president of the
Redskins. and later visiting Senator
Brown of Michigan, his father-in
law to be.
Suffridge, only Tennessee player in
l,jc 10 no
America three times, kept shiver-
ing reception committee waiting at
Union Station from o'clock to
7:30 this morning as his train from
Knoxville was late. Reagan and
Harmon, flying from the West Coast
where they played in the East-West
game on New Year, were due this
afternoon, with ORourke scheduled
to appear shortly before the ban
quet begins. O'Rourke left Boston
today by plane.
Will Present Trophies.
The chief award to be presented
tonight will be the Walter Camp
Memorial Trophy, which Harmon
will carry off with him. Suffridge,
guard. will collect the Knute
Rockne Memorial Cup. while the
others will gather up lesser objects.
Heading the local collegiate war
riors to be honored will be George
towns All-America guard, Augie Lilo,
who will receive trophy as the
outstanding Washington player, and
Pete Sachon of Catholic University,
Bob Smith of Maryland, Hugo
Schulze of American University
Sam Babich of George Washington
and Jules Koshlap of Georgetown.
Some of the country's leading
coaches also will be on hand, includ-
ing Earle Greasy Neale, formerly of
Yale and now head coach OF the
Pittsburgh Steelers, and Swede Lar
son, head Navy coach. 1t is be-
leved that Neale's purpose is two
fold, inasmuch as the Steelers drew
Suffridge in the college draft and
the Tennessee star is cool to pro
football.
Il want a job in the Government
said Suffridge. mo pro ball for me"
Sees Senator McKellar.
Suffridge this morning paid visit
to the Senate Office Building to see
Senator McKellar of Tennessee, but
he missed him by matter of
minutes. He had better luck calling
on Representative Jennings, also of
Tennessee.
Suffridge said that he wasn't sur
prised at Georgetown's defeat by
Mississippi State in the Orange
Bowl. "Mississippi's got great
team" he said I'VE didn't play
them, but I saw plenty of their
movies. They're better than Boston
College" 1t was Boston College that
defeated Tennessee, 1913, in the
Sugar Bowl.
I'VE were bowled out" explained
Suffridge. Thirteen of us were
seniors and this was our third
straight bowl game"