Evening star., 1942-12-03
Will Choose 200
Or 300 Schools
For Training
Only Those Selected
Likely to Garry On;
Football Is Urged
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

What will happen to the colleges
and college football in 1943?
In the first place, this is a matter
entirely up to the War Department.
In the second place, it is also a
matter that interests many millions.
Here is the latest tip from inside
sources in the War Department.:
In l943 we will take over 200 or
maybe 300 colleges and universities.
At least 100000 of the lS and 10
year old boys will be ASSIGNED to
this class. They will be drafted, but
the pick of the draft will be given
over to ROTC training. These men
will be trained for officers, espe-
cially in the Flying Corps, where
we are looking for at least 10000
additional flyers. This is a different
sort of war.
The only colleges and universi-
ties that can get by are those picked
for war training. After 1912, the
War Department will have full
charge, not college presidents, who
are in complete accord with the
War Department program.
Sees Football as Needed.
1t is my belief that so far as 1943
is concerned, football should be
given first place in any physical
training.
Football isn't war-but it is the
closest thing we have to war.
Football is the best training for
war AS references I'll give you
Gen. Douglas Macarthur and Capt.
Mike Moran of the good ship
Boise, who sank six Jap warships
in 27 minutes.
Both are stanch believers in
football values for war.
But what sort of college football
program will we have for 1943?
Many in the War Department
want only an intramural program.
In this respect they are 100 per cent
wrong.
Outside Competition Essential.
On both the physical training and
the morale sides football-or any
other sport-needs outside competi-
ton.
Men in the service know this much
better than headmen in Washing
ton.
These servicemen want to beat
somebody else-not themselves
There are too many in Washing
ton who don't happen to understand
this psychological angle-which is
an important one.
There is no way they can get close
enough to millions of servicemen,
who know what they want.
Granting the fact that football is
a badly needed ingredient in our ma
tional training program-which no
sane person denies-there should be
outside competition at close travel
ing range.
There should be no faraWay inter-
sectional games. But there are any
number of teams who are fairly
close neighbors, where there is
homespun rivalry, where travelling
distances are short.
Should Stay in Own Sections.
The East can play against the
East-the South against the South
the Midwest against the Midwest
and the Southwest-theF Far West
only against the Far West.
Until the war Is over, national
championships are entirely out of
order. Long trips are out of order.
Intersectional games are out OF
order.
But is so happens this country has
teams in every section that can play
among themselves on high basis
Of skill, with neighborhood rivalry
that is far more interesting than
any outside challenge.
For example-Harvard, Yale and
Princeton-Georgia, Georgia Tech
Alabama and Auburn-Boston Col
lege and Holy Cross-Army and
Navy-Southern California and u.
c. l.. A.-Stanford and California
the Texas teams-on and-~on.
Serves Threefold Purpose.
With the War Department taking
over so many colleges and univer-
sites, their major mistake would be
to abolish football.
Their second major mistake would
be to abolish all outside competition.
They should let these colleges
carry on with what they have left.
We are thinking now only In terms
of physical condition, competitive
training and morale.
These arc factors that can't he
ignored, even by those in charge who
claim to have more important mat
ters to think about.
For practically this entire college
enlistment will be in war service
training, only waiting the call to ac-
tive duty.
North American Newspaper Alhance)