As the foot-ball controversy progresses it becomes more and more evident how firmly the Yale management has trenched itself behind the constitution of the Foot-Ball Association, and how little Harvard has to base its claims upon except the honor of the Yale management of this and last year-which, from the present aspect of things, appears to be a very frail basis. When the convention met this fall to arrange the schedule of games, nothing was said before it of the probability that the Harvard faculty would forbid the New York game. But the Harvard manager spoke to the captain of the Yale eleven on the subject and was plainly given to understand that such mention of the possible difficulty was sufficient, and that if any difficulty should arise effort would be made to settle it agreeably to both parties. Now, however, the Yale captain declares that the question was one for the convention to settle and should have been brought up before it when it was met. This sudden and decidedly questionable shift on the part of the Yale captain is not without its meaning. It means that in his point of view he is powerless to change the schedule arranged by the convention, and that therefore the Harvard-Yale game must take place in New York. As Harvard cannot play in New York, Yale will have victory without a struggle. The constitution of the association is the only safeguard of the Yale management; its technical declared void, common justice, not to mention the agreement of Messrs Gill and Beecher last year, would leave but one course open to Yale. But with the constitution to back her, she can with some show of right, take the stand she has. Whatever the outcome of the struggle may be, Harvard will have learned one lesson at least-that in dealings with some institutions, official declarations recognized as binding, are far better than mere promises whose fulfilment rests on such a frail thing as a "sense of honor."