THE supporters of foot-ball were not a little surprised and disconcerted at the tone of an article which appeared in last week's Advocate, urging strongly the banishment of their favorite sport from the spring season. That such advice has been given just at this time (without considering for the moment whether it should be followed out next year) is likely to prove most hurtful to the success of the two matches for which our team is pledged this spring. The difficulty of obtaining money-subscriptions in aid of athletics this year is understood by all; and if the lukewarm supporter of the foot-ball interest has any additional excuse for not subscribing, other than the common plea of hard times, the chances are that he will close both his ears and pocket to the entreaties of the canvasser for foot-ball subscriptions. It is this fear of a lack of money support, more than an apprehension that the counsel offered in the Advocate will be ultimately adopted, which induces us to present the other side of the question. Without disputing that the game of foot-ball can be played later into the fall than other sports, and consequently more men can engage in it, we do not consider this any reason for neglecting the sport in the spring. In our opinion, the University is large enough to allow of each sport being well represented at any season of the year, and it is certainly essential to the development and success of foot-ball that it should be constantly played. Of course this is the special point upon which we take issue with the writer in the Advocate; whether the game can be carried on successfully during the coming season. We are confident that if any person has taken the pains to go out on to the grounds on any afternoon of last week, he must have seen enough to convince him that foot-ball, if not the leading sport at present, is at least running a close race with other out-of-door exercises. It will not be owing to the season or to a want of interest, if the team does not show up as creditably as it did last autumn, but to the personal misfortunes of three of the best "kicks" of the old eleven. Such a condition of affairs can only be attributed to hard luck, and surely does not warrant our refusing to play if challenged, even if every game were sure of resulting in a defeat. We quite agree with the Advocate, that men should play one game alone in a season; but we believe in connection with this view that the Rugby game will soon become so well played and popular at Harvard that, except in a few individual instances, it will be unnecessary to call upon either the ball nine or the crew to complete the foot-ball team. We wish to present a final argument in the interests of the warm supporters of foot-ball. Early in the winter the captains of both the University ball club and crew selected such men as they considered fit candidates for positions in their respective nine and boat; they had the opportunity of taking very nearly just whom they chose, and they have now included the best men from among these candidates in their organizations. How, then, can it be said that the foot-ball team will be made up to the detriment of either of the two interests? On the contrary, if the foot-ball men chose to complain, might they not with much truth declare that the University ball nine and the University crew were organized under conditions disadvantageous and even unfair to them? This dispute, however, if carried further, would involve the question as to which athletic interest should be supported in preference to the others, and here we will say that we cheerfully yield on this point The foot-ball party are quite willing to make up their team from among the disappointed aspirants for the ball and boating laurels. What we do earnestly wish is to be allowed to play our little game all the year round, and to receive the good-will and support of the undergraduates. On these conditions the College may consider the foot-ball team pledged to work doubly hard, in spite of gloomy auspices, for the athletic honor of the University.

E. C. H.