The annual Harvard-Dartmouth

football game has this year aroused somewhat unusual comment because of charges of unnecessary roughness on the part of the Dartmouth team. The source of these charges seems rather obscure: a "prominent alumnus", a "member of the: coaching staff", and other equally vague persons have been, quoted as authority for blood-curdling tactics on Dartmouth's part, and for the probability that the long-standing relations of cordiality and good will which have obtained between Harvard and Dartmouth are likely to be snapped in twain. One Boston paper, for November 20, carries startling headlines to the effect that the Harvard coach has "denounced" Dartmouth. The report itself,-however, quotes no very strong statements. Coach Haughton appears, to have pointed out that there was unnecessary roughness, and that it did not pay either in credit or in scores.

That is quite a different thing from the interpretation which the headlines seemed to imply.

In short, there has been, at the present writing, absolutely no official statement from Harvard as to the opinion of her athletic authorities on the game as played or on the probable course of future athletic relations. Whatever has been said as coming from Harvard must then be attributed solely to a newspaper press that finds more profit in war than in peace; more joy in excited exaggeration than in sober fact. That any part of official Harvard is responsible for the present campaign of innuendo and accusation THE MAGAZINE refuses to believe; for it respects Harvard's sportsmanship as something wide enough and deep enough to extend beyond the athletic field and to permeate all the university's relations with other institutions.

In spite of newspaper efforts to the contrary, Dartmouth has thus far shown admirable forbearance and restraint. Even unofficial and unjust accusations, however, if given sufficient publicity demand some official reply. This the Dartmouth Athletic Council has made in a dignified and honorable statement. The Council finds a basis of justification for the complaint of roughness. It maintains, however, that this roughness is to be attributed rather to over-eagerness than to evil intent. It distributes the blame, very properly, upon all of those, who, smarting not so much from the defeat, as from the causes of the defeat, at Princeton, goaded the Dartmouth team to a point of desperation where, not caring for their own physical welfare, the men were not sufficiently careful as to that of their opponents. The Council's final statement of confidence in the essential cleanness of Dartmouth sports and in the certainty that no recurrence of an opportunity for criticism will in future arise must find echo in the minds of any thoughtful Dartmouth man.

The statement of the Dartmouth Athletic Council marks an epoch in intercollegiate athletics. With the exception of the action taken by Yale last year in reference to rough play of its basketball team, this seems to be the first time that the athletic authorities of a college have manfully come forward, publicly admitted a degree of justice in criticism of rough play, and expressed regret-at its occurrence. To do this thing required a courage and honesty that deserve highest commendation. It is, after all, an action of this kind taken with due forethought, without haste, that expresses the abiding Dartmouth spirit of fair play and integrity. It can be interpreted only as a part of the athletic policy of the College, a policy which has steadily increased the standing of the institution in the estimation of sister colleges and of the general public. In the face of such behavior, the assumption that Harvard is on the point of severing relations would seem to imply a low opinion of that university's generosity of mind and large sense of the spirit of genuine fairness. This THE MAGAZINE can not for a moment share.

As for the football season itself, that can hardly be considered satisfactory. Last year the College ended its season defeated, to be sure, but crowned with laurels that should have been dearer than victory. That just passed has added nothing to her prestige. The lesson to be derived should be sufficiently obvious to undergraduates and alumni alike. Dartmouth can not, in the nature of things, expect to turn out, year after year, a football team whose play is of championship grade. It can, however, expect to turn out a team second to none in its high ideals of the ethics of sport. Some time since, THE MAGAZINE pointed out that the memory of individual defeats or victories is, after all, short lived; but that the exhibition of the underlying spirit of a college makes a lasting impression. Recent events have clearly enough demonstrated the justness of this attitude. THE MAGAZINE believes that a large measure of the criticism which has been directed at the play of the Dartmouth team is unmerited, and is to be attributed to causes not yet fully disclosed. So great a volume of smoke, however. reasonably implies a larger spark of fire than an institution jealous of its reputation can afford to leave unquenched.

Statement of the Ownership, Management, Circulation, etc., of The Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, published nine times per annum at Hanover, N. H., required by the Act of August 24, 1912. Editor, Homer Eaton Keyes. Managing Editor, Homer Eaton Keyes. Business Managers, William R. Gray. Owners: THE MAGAZINE is published under direction of the Association of Alumni Secretaries. There are, however, no owners, no salaries, and no profits. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders, holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None.