BREAK WITH YALE

The decision of the Committee on the Regulation of Athletic sports to discontinue the Yale boxing meets might be looked upon by some not in full command of the facts as the petty retaliation of an undefeated team, piqued at closing the season with a 4-4 draw. If such an argument could be supported by any facts, the extraordinary measure of severing our heretofore amicable relations with Yale, even in this single sport, might be treated with suspicion as well as concern. No shred of evidence, however, has been found to support the novel contention that the National Collegiate Athletic Association rules provide for, or even allow, a meet to be decided upon a basis of the total points scored by the judges; on the contrary, the N.C.A.A. Rules Committee, when asked for an official opinion, stated that no such rule exists and that by unanimous vote, the Committee gave Harvard the decision in the Olney bout and a draw in the Ellis fight, thus making final score: Harvard--5 1/2-Yale--2 1/2.

If this unfortunate disagreement were isolated among a long series of pleasantly conducted Yale matches, again the action of the Athletic Committee might be called unduly hasty. But the fact that Army, Navy, New Hampshire, and Coast Guard have one by one, for reasons specified and varied, finally placed Yale on the black list, indicates that there is something radically wrong with the Eli boxing set-up. Under these conditions it would be a mistake to continue to send boxing teams to New Haven. Next winter, with the seeds of ill-feeling nurtured for a year in Crimson mitts, what is now an isolated case of personal disagreement, revolving around one man, might spread and poison all athletic relations.

A policy of continuing the meets under these circumstances would amount to asking for trouble gratuitously, since Mr. Farmer, the Yale athletic director, has already demonstrated his unwillingness to make any compromise or adjustments with regard to boxing decisions.

It may be pointed out that the undergraduates at Yale strongly sympathize with the Crimson mittmen. If a similar case were to come up at Harvard, the Athletic Association would feel mistreated if they were not given an opportunity by Yale to remedy the matter immediately.