An investigation of the discussion, one side of which is presented in a communication on another page of today's issue, seems to us to furnish certain facts which, in all fairness, should be known before judgment is passed on the opponents of the existing rule.
Some time ago the present captain of the track team proposed to the Graduate Advisory Board of Track Athletics that H. A. A. men should be barred from the election of track captain. As any man who enters the Yale or intercollegiate meets, regardless of his performance there, is allowed to wear the H. A. A. insignia, this request was immediately sanctioned by the graduate board. Together with certain new rules concerning the awarding of baseball and crew insignia, this track regulation was embodied in a complete revision already approved by the Student Council and now only awaiting the formal sanction of a sub-committee of the Athletic Association before going into force. These are the facts.
There is no doubt that the writer of today's communication is technically correct in demanding admission to the election for H. A. A. men. But so would any member of the present baseball team be technically correct in demanding his "H" for this year's Princeton game. (A provision granting the "H" only to players in the Yale game, instead of to those in the Yale and Princeton games, as formerly, is contained in the new set of rules). In the same way would any of the substitutes or members of the second University four now at Red Top be technically correct in demanding the University crew "H." (The same set of provisions as contains the rule quoted in the communication says that every man taken to Red Top will receive the crew "H." In the new set of regulations only certain men taken to Red Top receive the "H").
It must be admitted, however, that H. A. A. men have demanded and received admission by the old rule to elections of the past two years. But we believe that this precedent should not be considered. We believe that rewards to athletes should not be given "on demand"; and in view of the facts that both the nine and the crew have waived any claim to rights under the old set of rules, we believe that H. A. A. men should not force the issue.
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Heavy 1915 Football Material