In spite of the disastrous termination of Princeton's football season, Lawrence Perry, sporting editor of the New York post, does not blame J. H. Rush, the Tigers' head coach. Following are extracts from a recent article in which he exonerates Rush and urges that he be retained at Princeton:
"Princeton men are far from satisfied with the work of their team in both the Harvard and Yale games-particularly in the Yale contest. I have yet to learn that there is any dissatisfaction with John H. Rush, the coach. It may be premature, but none the less the prediction may be hazarded that every Princetonian who can see beyond his nose-in other words, the great bulk of the student and alumni body-will back Nassau's football instructor whole-heartedly. They will back him because of the conviction-which is by no means confined to Princeton men-that Rush has shown high qualifications in the matter of teaching football; that in each of his two years of service at Nassau he has given the Orange and Black that which it has lacked since the modern game was devised in the winter of 1905-a rounded offence. Rush knows football. He knows as much football as Tad Jones or Haughton does. And in many ways he is as well qualified to teach it. There years ago he was coaching a preparatory school eleven in the West. Last year he produced an eleven that outrushed and out-downed both Harvard and Yale. This year he developed a team that was equipped manually to defeat Yale and which played Harvard with equal chances for victory.
System Bound to Win Out.
"Princeton will do well to adhere loyally to John Rush. He is learning all the time, adding to his already large stock of football knowledge; in fact, the things he is now learning relate not so much to the actual playing of the game as to the various outgrowing details, psychology, judgment of men, strategy, and the like. Every coach, even Haughton, will make a mistake or two each season. Rush's great mistake this year was in placing too much faith in certain individuals, in believing that men would come through in the big tests, despite their failure in preliminary tests. It is not likely that a man who fumbles consistently in the preliminary season will ever again be entrusted with big-game responsibility by Rush, no matter how great he may be in other respects; nor will he again permit the direction of any of his elevens to be in the hands of a man who shows throughout his lack of executive ability. Princeton will do well in standing by Rush; in him lies definite promise for the future. In good time his system will win a satisfactory proportion of Princeton's games against Harvard and Yale-provided he has the material and that sort of support which gives him supreme and absolute authority in Princeton football."
Little Publicity for Work.
The Yale News published in Wednesday's issue a letter, received from a graduate who has been working with the American Y. M. C. A. in the prison camps of the warring countries of Europe. This work has received little publicity in the country on account of the necessity of doing the work as quietly as possible in the early months of the war when the chief problem was to obtain permission of the governments to perform this service. It was only careful diplomatic work and promises to do in one country just what was being done in the enemy's country, that opened the way. This effort is of particular interest to Americans because the work has been financed in this country, while the actual workers are largely graduates or undergraduates of American universities.
In the various belligerent countries, there are now about 5,500,000 prisoners, located in camps containing anywhere from one or two thousand to 74,000 prisoners each, and these prisoners range from the highest classes to the lowest, and from the most intelectual to those who have had no education. The camps are located from the Isle of Wight to Japan.
Until the Association opens its work in a camp, there is nothing for the prisoners to do. Little opportunity is given for exercise. Once the Y. M. C. A. has been organized fully, there are entertainments, work provided, trades to be resumed, educational classes to be attended and religious services. All this is brought about, not by workers from without, but by using the talent at hand, for among the prisoners there are professors, lawyers, financiers, doctors, ministers, athletes and representatives of every trade.
The letter from Marshall Batholomew 1907S reads as follows:
Work Expands Rapidly.
"Starting on a modest plan in one-half of a large wooden barrack, with an equipment consisting of three rooms separated by wooden partitions, three blackboards, a small supply of paper and pencils, and fifteen textbooks, we began what later developed into a thriving school with somewhat more than 1,700 scholars, 35 teachers and 27 different courses of study. Soon after this, church services were begun in the same barrack. The Roman Catholic priest and the local Lutheran pastor were permitted to hold regular services. In connection with the church services the men organized among themselves a choir of 80 voices. Soon afterwards I was able to secure musical instruments for an orchestra of 14 players, all professional musicians. Since then they have had regular concerts in the school barracks during the winter.
"The small library is worked within an inch of its limit morning, noon and night; the school is growing, and concerts and lectures crowd the hall four nights in the week.
"An Austrian instrument-maker has provided us with five violins two violas, a cello and a contrabass, made of birchwood. I provided the strings and I know not how many unfortunate Siberian horses sacrified their tails for the bows. All the war prisoners, particularly the Hungarians, need music almost as much as food. They simply cannot exist without it. When instruments cannot be bought they make them out of whatever happens to be available."
Yale Hockey Candidates Out.
Yale hockey candidates will be called out Monday night and practice will begin as soon as the New Haven Arena opens. The outlook this year is good, as only three of last year's regulars graduated and those still in college will form a good nucleus around which to build up a strong team. Last year's freshman team will offer some good material, and there are also a number of substitutes from last year who will be eligible for the university team this year. The schedule will be announced some time next week.
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1923 ELECTION TO BE HELD DEC. 13