THE DARTMOUTH PLAN

Armed with his outstanding position in American higher education and protected from malicious opposition by his own well known love of football the game, President Hopkins has presented the first sweeping proposal for the reorganization of intercollegiate football which has come from a college President of high rank. "I would like," he says, "to see the virtues of intercollegiate football protected and its vices extirpated by friends of the game before its foes are given justification for demanding and accomplishing its death." That is also the platform of Harvard as set forth by President Lowell and applied by Director of Athletics Bingham. It is the platform of every sane man who has been advocating reform of intercollegiate football for the past year. In general principles then Harvard and Dartmouth, President Lowell, President Hopkins, and Mr. Bingham, are all in whole hearted agreement.

The specific propositions of President Hopkins are briefly, that eligibility for university teams be limited to Sophomores and Juniors, that two major teams of equal strength be developed to play with opponents on a home and home basis, and that professional or graduate coaching be replaced by undergraduate direction. The first and second of these propositions immediately throw open to a much larger number of undergraduates opportunities for participation in football. The first also frees Seniors from the demands of intercollegiate competition and enables them to devote themselves exclusively to the primary purpose of the college. Most important of all the home and home arrangement will diminish, may even destroy, the whole public emphasis now devoted to the University eleven. With two teams of equal strength instead of one there will no longer be any "varsity" for the papers to write about and the public to talk about incessantly for two months every autumn. It will end the Saturday emigrations of the undergraduate body. Furthermore it would seem a logical deduction that two teams playing the same intercollegiate schedule would develop an intramural rivalry which might even outweigh the interest incidental to the outside games.

The proposition for undergraduate coaching is not a new one, nor in any way revolutionary, but it has certain very important complications. In addition to giving back to the undergraduates the conduct of the game it will simplify it and return it to its original English foundation from its present highly professionalized technique. It will do this for the very reason that was set forth against it in the Transcript last night. An undergraduate coach would of course lack the authority of the professional. He would be less of a tactician, more of a captain with the captain's functions as the English understand them. The tendency to ward greater informality is obvious and is a good one.

President Hopkins' plan is certainly the most effective and sweeping that has yet come from an official source. There are undoubtedly many difficulties in the way of its application. President Hopkins has recognized them and it would serve no purpose to discuss them specifically until the full details of the Dartmouth program appear. Suffice it to say, first that Mr. Hopkins and his associates have spent many months on the formulation of the proposals published yesterday, second that good faith on the part of any college adopting so sweeping a reform is to be presumed and will obviate any such objection as that the college would make one team in practice a university team and the other a second team.

President Hopkins proposes a conference for the consideration of his proposals. Because of the underlying agreement on general principles already pointed out Harvard should be the first to accept any such proposal so soon as it is forth-coming in its final form. The reform of the abuses to which intercollegiate football is at present subject, the further development of intramural sports and athletics for all, on these things Harvard and Dartmouth agree. Toward attaining those ends Harvard has so far chosen to be slow and cautious. That method, certainly useful when sympathy among other colleges for Harvard's aims appeared doubtful, is no longer necessary. Dartmouth has taken the lead, Harvard, in view of its announced principles, can do nothing less than cooperate to the fullest extent possible.