Evening star., 1951-08-09

/ Inc new controversy arOS
when the Chicago Tribune quote
Duncan Macdonald, Film
(Mich) high school star, as say
ing he and % other prep gri
stars had a six-week. expense
paid vacation at the academy thi
summer.
Macdonald was quoted as say
ing the boys received offers O
easy appointments to the academ
and special help in passing tn
strict entrance requirements.
At Flint, the youth said the in
terview was a misrepresentation
of facts Col. Blaik said Mac
Donald had told his Office tha
the remarks attributed to hin
were "garbled" and gave an en-
tlrely erroneous impression.
Meanwhile. the Naval Academ
also was brought into the recruit
ing picture when an 18-year-ol,
end from Harrington, Ill, said h
had taken all-expense paid tour
of both Annapolis and West Point
but finally decided to go to tn
University of Washington.
Stephen Roake. jr., a 6-foot- !
lS0-pound pass-catcher, said h
and his father looked over Yves
Point and Annapolis in May ant
that he took a refresher course il
mathematics to permit him t,
meet the West Point requirements
Accompanied by Others.
Roake's father said his sol
was accompanied by two othe
athletes ir his trip to Annapolis
Dan Osinski, a teammate a
Darlington High, and Clarence
BUD De Moss, an outstandin!
athlete at York Township High il
ElmhurSt, a Chicago suburb.
At the Naval Academy Osinsk
and De Moss got into football uni
forms, the father said, but his sol
did not. All three were giver
physical examinations, Roak.
added.
The youths were told by Nav!
officers, Roake said, that they
were deficient in mathematics anc
suggested they attend a PREF
academy for a year before enter.
ing the academy.
In Annapolis Capt. Ian C
Eddy. athletic director, said thu
players names meant nothing tt
him, but added that he had taker
over the academy job only las
month from Capt. Howard Cald.
we'll.
Capt. Eddy said he planned tt
talk to Coach Eddie Erdelatz anc
other academy football officials a.
soon as they were available.
Recruiting Conceded.
Col. Blaik conceded that West
Point recruits five to II high
school players year and that the
athletes are invited to the acad.
emy for a cram course" to helr
them pass rigid entrance exam.
nations.
He said the prospects expense:
during the course are paid by in.
terested civilian alumni.
IF We did not do that we woulc
be unable to have any athletes ir
west Point able to play a norma
schedule" Col. Blaik stated.
The coach said the boys or thei,
coaches sometimes contacted him
and he sometimes contacted the
boys.
The whole procedure was per-
fectly proper and correct and moi
contrary to the rules of the asso-
clatlons to which we belong" he
added.
He said Macdonald had written
a letter expressing interest in
west Point. Investigation showed
the boy to be of a very high type
Col. Blaik added, so he and Others
IN similar category were invited
to the Academy.
THE little informal TUTORING
had no official connection with the
Academy" Col. Blaik
said.
Aided by Alumni.
The coach declared that per.
sons interested in Army football
sometimes helped an athlete te
obtain appointment as well as te
help him with subsequent entrance
examinations.
Army football teams had trou.
BILE winning major games before
Col. Blaik, himself standout all
around athlete at the Academy
became head coach in 1941. The
two years preceding Col. Blaik's
regime, Army won only 4 games
while losing II and tying 3.
Since then the Black knights
have won rs, lost II and tied six
They ran up winning streakS o1
80 and 20 games between 1944
and 1949 and twice-in 1914 ano
l945-were ranked No. l in the
Associated Press poll.
The 80 accused, meanwhile, still
were being interviewed one by one
by a review board.
Non-accused students showed
little sympathy yesterday fol
those charged with cribbing.
Hear what 1900 honest men
have to say" a group of them
told reporters.
One said the 80 were caught
cheating and they must stand
the consequences"
'The sooner they CO." said an
other. "the better off We'll be-
Some said they would stay
away from the football stadium
if the football players were al
lowed to play again, and some
even threatened to resign from
the academy unless the cheater.
left.