Evening star., 1945-01-10
|Byrd's Get Tough
plea Is AppIauded
|By Touchdowners
BY DENMAN THOMPSON,
Star Sports Editor.

otAI opOTIS GfOltor.
Citing the need for unity on the
nome front as imperative If the war
Is to be won, President H. G. (Curley)
Byrd of the University of Maryland
sounded grim note before an
assemblage of 1900 members and
guests Of the Touchdown Club at its
10th annual dinner at the Statler
Hotel last night.
Climaxing ar. evening of jolliflca-
ton at which outstanding athletes
of the District as well as the Nation
were given handsome trophies in
recognition of their prowess, Byrd's
SOLDERING observations were applaud
ed by the gathering, sportsminded
in the main, which included many
Of the high-ranking officers of our
armed forces in addition to promi-
nent officials of the Government.
Byrd, former football player and
coach who for more than three
decades has espoused and promoted
sports, declared unequivocally that
If their continuance in any way
hampers the war effort they must
be abolished and asserted President
Roosevelt and his chief aides, War
Mobilization Director Jimmy Byrnes
and Director of Economic Stabiliza-
ton Fred Vinson should "get tough
er" for that purpose.
Urges Ia for All 4-Fs.
Emphasizing that no nation ever
before had been faced with the stu
pendous task of waging two major
wars on fronts $4,000 miles apart,
the now white-thatched boss of the
Old Line States chief educational
institution, not only voiced approval
of the ban on turf activities and the
proposed Tightening of regulations
governing 4-F athletes, but called on
Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, director OF
selective service, Immediately to re-
classify them all Ia so that the
draft boards and Army heads can
assign them to tasks that will prove
productive in the overall effort.
Asserting that developments to
date had demonstrated the futility
of pitting 18-year-olds, with but a
few months training, against the
seasoned warriors of Germany and
Japan, Mr.. Byrd urged that the pre-
vailing practice be summarily
scrapped in favor Of system that
will start conditioning our youths
for effective defense Of their country
at the age of 16.
fho hoal foh1o uyith purI onT
obviously impressed with the sound
ness of the views he expressed with
50 much earnestness were, in addi-
ton to Mr.. Vinson, Vice President
elect Harry s. Truman, Speaker OF
the House Sam Rayburn, Associate
Justice william o. Douglas of the
Supreme Court, 1t. Gen. A. A. VAN
degrift of the Marines, FBI Direc-
tor J. Edgar Hoover and Admiral
Jerry Land Of the Maritime Com
mission, among others.
Clark Griffith Gets Tribute.
After Clark Griffith, septuagenar-
ian owner of the Nationals, had
been indorsed for admission to base
balls hall of fame on nomination
of Bob Simmons, predecessor as
Touchdown president to Donald H
Adams, who presided and intro
duced the distinguished guests on
the extensive entertainment pro-
gram, the athletic awards were
made.
Chief among them were those
presented to Glenn Davis, Army
back, as the outstanding college
player Of the year (Walter Camp
Memorial Trophy; to Don Whit
mire, Navy tackle, as the top col
legiate linesman (Knute Rockne
Memorial Trophy; to 1t. Bill Dud-
ley of Randolph Field as the out
standing service player (the Robert
Smith Memorial Trophy, and to
Roy Zimmerman of the Philadel-
phia Eagles as 1944's ace pro player