ARGUMENTS FOR BASKETBALL.

The CRIMSON is printing this morning communications from the captain and manager of next year's basketball team in defence of basketball as an intercollegiate sport. Their arguments for the game are well worth consideration, but we do not believe that they are conclusive.

We are perfectly willing to admit that the team was greatly handicapped by a short schedule, but with the present general curtailment there is no great possibility of an increase in the number of games next season. It is also true that the trouble with this year's squad was one of quality rather than quantity, and that there will be considerable good material available for next year. The fact remains, however, that the athletes in College who could do much to make the basketball team successful, do not take enough interest in the sport to go out for the team, and there is no immediate prospect of their changing their attitude. The comparison with the recent unsuccessful seasons in football is not particularly convincing. Although the team lost to Yale for several years, there was still a great deal of interest and enthusiasm, and a majority of the games was always won. In basketball there are many other defeats than those by Yale, and the support of the whole University, which is given even to a losing football team, is notably absent.

It would undoubtedly be a good thing to improve the game itself, but as conditions are at present we doubt if this improvement would increase the popularity of the sport to any substantial degree. The writer of the second communication claims that if the Committee abolishes basketball as an intercollegiate sport, it should be consistent and abolish it entirely. We can not agree with this point of view. If there are men who wish to play the game they should certainly have an opportunity to do so, but there ought not to be a team representing the University in a sport as unpopular as this.