The whole history of the negotiations between Harvard and Yale on the matter of football was given out last evening by the Chairman of the Athletic Committee.
On the 30th of last May a meeting of Harvard graduates and undergraduates was held at the Parker House in Boston to discuss the football situation. There were present at the meeting about thirty men, most of whom represented some branch of athletics. It was discussed at the meeting whether Harvard could in any way withdraw from the position she had taken with regard to football, either by retraction of the letter written by Dr. Brooks, or by making overtures of any nature to Yale. It was decided then that the only sportsmanlike thing for her to do was to stand by the position she had taken in the letter sent by her Athletic Committee to Captain Thorne of Yale.
Last June on the day before Class Day, George Adee, the well-known Yale graduate came to Cambridge to confer with Professor Ames of the Athletic Committee, and to see whether a game might not be arranged for this fall between the two colleges. The result of this interview was not very satisfactory. Professor Ames explained at length to Mr. Adee the way Harvard looked at the matter. That she did not regard the question as one concerning football merely, but of general athletic relations. If Yale felt that Harvard's conduct had been such that she could not meet her in football, then Harvard felt that it would be impossible for her to meet Yale in any sport. That in taking this ground Harvard was not actuated by any spirit of hostility, nor of retaliation. That Harvard men everywhere, and doubtless Yale men too, would greatly regret such an interruption of the athletic relations which had continued so many years unbroken, but that the sentiment of Harvard men was well night universal that no other course was open to them without a sacrifice of self respect. As one Harvard man put it, "If Mr. A. is unwilling to breakfast with Mr. B. it is hardly to be expected that Mr. B. will think it becoming for him to lunch and dine with Mr. A."
Mr. Adee and Professor Ames also discussed the idea of an arrangement between the two universities either for one year or longer in all sports. Professor Ames assured Mr. Adee that such an arrangement would commend itself to Harvard, and Mr. Adee expressed himself as desirous of the consummation of such a plan. When they separated Professor Ames understood Mr. Adee to say that he proposed to see whether the Yale students would take the same view that they themselves had taken upon the subject. Nothing was said about any communication from Mr. Adee after he should have talked it over with the Yale men at New Haven, but Professor Ames understood that sooner or later he should expect a line from him.
(Continued on sixth page.)
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