The following article was received by the Crimson accompanied by the following letter form Mr. Beale:

"Enclosed is a seriously considered criticism of football. I think it would help the game if you would publish it and advise all college papers to copy. No relief can be obtained through the Rules Committee. No active football man can be brought to think in regard to fumbling, except that it is too great a crime to escape with anything but the severest penalty."

Mr. Beale's football record when in the University qualifies him to speak on this subject. In 1893 he played against Yale at Springfield, in 1895 against the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1896 against Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

The football solons since 1879 have done their worst to take the joy out of football. Their solid-ivory reasoning has been responsible for the following direct results:

First: They have eliminated the free rushing and passing which was and theoretically still should be its fundamental play, replacing it with miserable substitutes.

During the eighties and nineties they passed rules requiring pushing duels between opposing linesmen to determine whether the offence could provide a human slide on which to project the man with the ball for 1 and 67-100 yards on each down; or whether on the other hand the defence could upset this human slide and turn it into a human wall against which the alleged runner would be hurled in vain by his team-mates. The result of the plays would have been exactly the same if the runner was on wheels.

This game entailed an extraordinary amount of injuries form crushing and grinding such as broken ribs, collarbones, legs and telescoped vertebrae, broken necks and backs.

When the crushing and grinding machinery, under paid coaches, became so highly developed that it pulverized the players without any appreciable movement of the ball, many college faculties abolished the game and on those of Harvard, Yale and Princeton were many in favor of putting an end to its misery. The rule-makers were forced to do something and reluctantly introduced the forward pass, and certain restrictions as to interference.

Forward Pass Brings Other Harms

The crushing and grinding machinery was legislated out of existence but in its place was set up equally dangerous and diabolical flying mass collisions. On account of the forward pass threat, the defence must keep almost half the team five or ten yards back of the scrimmage line. This rear guard for a pass, in case the basketball heave is not used, must quickly form a rushing defensive interference, and meet the offensive interference at the scrimmage line. Result a young Freshman-Sophomore rush, long ago tabooed for brutality! Result in rushing also nothing, for like two equally heavy express trains colliding head on they crash and pile up with no gain.

Meanwhile the forwards are dashing into opponents hoping by judicious hammering of solar-plexes, ribs, or chin, gradually to make their opponent so groggy or disabled that the teams will not be equal and that ground may be gained over a worn-out line or a weaker substitute one.

Injuries in games and practice are as dangerous, frequent and permanent as in the crushing and grinding game.

Game of Coaches, Not Players

Second:--The rule-makers have established a game so stereotyped and restricted that every move is foreordained by the professional coach. He is supreme and the movements of the gladiators are dictated by him. It is a professional coaches' game and not the players' game.

Third: Resulting from this domination of paid coaches is the difficulty of changing the game and giving it back to the players, for the rule-makers either are those same coaches or represent the groups or committees who engaged them, and who rely on their judgment. Therefore they will make no rules which would spoil their plays or "system" as it is called, which is their stock in trade.