WEST POINT

Thomas W. Slocum, former President of the Associated Harvard Clubs, stated yesterday that because of West Point's failure to adopt the three year eligibility rule, it should be barred from intercollegiate football contests in the future. Mr. Slocum has taken it upon himself to interfere in a situation which should only be treated by those possessing the authority and official standing which he lacks; he has stirred up a touchy question without tact, without the slightest regard toward the practical aspects of the case.

It is perfectly true that the present system of high-pressure football thrown on the altar of the golden calf, is not an ideal one, either from the general standpoint of sportsmanship, or from the point of view of the players. Nevertheless, it is equally true that the system has advantages, that it permits a greater expansion of lesser sports, and that in any case, it will not be altered until the Athletic Association places all sport on a sound financial basis. If and when the football system goes, West Point, since it is an unsuitable match for Harvard from the standpoint of an informal encounter, should cease to compete with Harvard. But Mr. Slocum has overlooked the implications of these facts, concentrated on eligibility rules, which are beside the point as long as footbal remains on its present basis, and has brought his whole case to its present low level by failing to point out that if West Point goes, all the other teams who are on the schedule for the sake of the gate, and all the other appurtenances of the mercenary outlook, must go at the same time.

The practical fact of the matter is that football, as it is now conducted, has only two purposes: it represents an admirable source of income, and correspondingly, it is calculated to provide a brilliant spectacle for the spectator. Both of these purposes are thoroughly fulfilled by the Army game; football in general may be on a low level; but from the limit of that level, Army towers above all the teams on the Harvard schedule except Yale. The Bates game, for instance, is just as mercenary, much less commendable, and a good deal less interesting than the show provided by the Army and Harvard teams in their annual clash. The argument goes deeper than eligibility rules, about which Harvard knew when they signed the contract with West Point; it is altogether a question of the true purpose of football.