We feel great reluctance in crediting as genuine the remarks concerning the game of base-ball reported by the press as having been delivered by President Eliot at a recent meeting of the Boston High School Teachers' Association :

"I think it a wretched game," President Eliot is made to say, "but as an object of ambition for the youth to go to college really it is a little weak. There are only nine men who can play the game, and there are 950 men in the college, and out of the nine there are only two desirable positions, I understand-that of pitcher and catcher-so that there is but little chance for the youth to gratify his ambition. I call it one of the worst games, although I know it is called the American national game."

It is, perhaps, not of much importance absolutely what anyone's private opinions about the game of base-ball may be. The subject is not in itself one of supreme interest. President Eliot, however, occupies at present a peculiarly prominent position before the public in consequence of the recent agitation of the general subject of college athletics largely set on foot him. Any expression of opinion relating to this subject by President Eliot, such as the above, and delivered with the intent of influencing the opinion of a part or of the whole public naturally can be expected to attract attention and to provoke criticism. Such expression of opinion, therefore, we venture to suggest, should be carefully considered and sifted of all inaccuracies or dubious statements, before it is made.

President Eliot's remarks, so far as we have seen them quoted, involve two criticisms of the game of base-ball, namely, that only nine men at a time can play the game, and secondly that only two men out of this nine can hold positions which are at all "desirable" President Eliot also calls it a "wretched" game, and "one of the worst games"; these opinions evidently are not deducible (at lest altogether) from the former two, since the value of the game in itself cannot be affected by its value for collegians only; and we take President Eliot's criticisms on the limited number able to play in the game to refer to this only. Many people, whose opinion in such matters is equally entitled to respect with president Eliot's, think the game an excellent and highly interesting one; hence President Eliot, before indulging in wholesale condemnation of the game, should take care to set forth good reasons for his opinion. To call a game "wretched" and "one of the worst games," obviously in itself is a very poor argument. It certainly will require something more than such extreme assertions to convince the ordinary undergraduate that base-ball is "one of the worst of games," and we still persist in believing that President Eliot is at least not averse to persuading or trying to persuade undergraduates of the reasonableness of his position; that he wishes if possible to have their cooperation in effecting the numerous reforms in athletic sports which he so long has been planning.

But President Eliot has made two specific charges against base-ball as a college game, aside from his general condemnation of it, and these criticisms are open to our consideration.

It is true that but nine men at a time on one side can engage in base-ball; it is also true that there are nine hundred and fifty men in college, for whom for many reasons it is desirable that some form of athletic sport should be open; but we fail to see in what respect the game of base-ball loses in value on account of either of these facts. We are not aware of any other athletic sport in which many more than nine men at a time can be engaged. In foot-ball there are eleven, in lacrosse twelve, and in rowing, usually eight; but we do not see how any of these games are to be criticised because they do not employ more men. It would be highly undesirable for many reasons that in any sport many more than about this number should compete at one time. Here, at Harvard, it is true that only two regularly organized nines are in training; a sufficient cause for this, we think, is the lack of room for any other nines to play. If there were more grounds it would be quite possible to organize class nines; besides, in this case there are a large number of men who would be glad to indulge in occasional or "scrub" games. What remedy President Eliot has to offer other than enlarging the college playgrounds we do not know.

As to President Eliot's second criticism, we believe that he is thoroughly misinformed. Pitcher's and catcher's positions are important, but are far from being the only "desirable" positions on the nine. Excellent exercise and sport are offered by any other position as well. We regret President Eliot's statements as hasty and ill-ad-vised.