Communications

Now for some communications. Last month I used a letter from the Northern California Association, which was a loyal epistle to Jack Cannell and his associates. Since that time the many communications have been fairly well divided, some making constructive suggestions, some recalling the "good old days" and others condemning without any reason.

We'll take a swing around the circuit. From the Golden Gate let's move to Detroit, where the Dartmouth Alumni Association of Detroit writes a lengthy letter, signed by the active members, protesting "that we are firmly and honestly convinced that something is radically wrong with the Dartmouth coaching system" and the letter goes on to suggest that a "complete change" would be the "logical course." The coaching staff is impeached on "the inability to teach fundamentals."

Dropping down to Nashville, Tenn., comes a letter from a recent alumnus who takes the opposite viewpoint. "I could not believe that such a basic tradition (loyalty to the team) could be uprooted by one disastrous season," he says and continues, "I can't describe my feeling toward Dartmouth but if Cannell and his team lose every game from now on we in the South will be ready to respond to the old battle cry—a Wah-Who-Wah for Dartmouth in a big way." And I'll string along with you, son, on those sentiments.

Coming up to Philadelphia a prominent alumnus a decade out of college observes "when a college can get very favorable mention in the editorial pages and magazines of a nation due to the eminently successful work of the President and can also receive popular acclaim on the sporting pages, then that college commands the maximum respect." Naturally the remainder of his letter tells what happened during the football season.

On our way back we might stop in Boston, where Bill Cunningham says "I'll admit that I've begun to believe that my friends the Green coaches had either lost the knack of teaching an offense, or that the celebrated 'Aristocracy of Brains' was feeding them an annual set of young gentlemen who for some reason were too thick to learn one." Those are harsh words, Mr. Cunningham!

But let's look at the fellows who play the game for Dartmouth. Let's see what the first two teams signed yesterday and sent down to Tack Cannell. Here's the letter in full:

"Dear Jack: "We want you to know that the men of the football team are behind you, Jack. There can be no doubt that from the point of view of major games won, we have had a very poor season. This record will undoubtedly result in much unjust criticism of you and your assistants.

"However, we who have worked with you personally and who have been close to the difficult problems of the recent season, have found you a capable coach and leader, the type of man of whom Dartmouth should be justly proud."

The letter bears its signatures, and today is winging its way to Jack Cannell's home in Massachusetts. If that is what every member of the first two teams thinks, the book of discussion should be closed for the year, for as many have suggested, the players are the most important cogs of all.