H. A. A. NEWS

The quarrel between Mr. Frank Ryan and the editors of the Harvard Lampoon focuses attention on one of H. A. A.'s less popular claims of privilege. The particular assertion in view has it that H. A. A. possesses sole "right" to the names and numbers of the football players who perform, each week, in the Stadium.

This "right," as newspapermen know full well, is one of the holies. It is asserted with high-flown argument of altruistic bend; it is strictly defended. First of all, one is told, H. A. A. assigns the Harvard numbers; H. A. A. therefore has the "right" to them. And if this suffices not, there is the nice financial syllogism. The H. A. A. News makes a neat profit,--1930-31 $2289.75, 1931-32 $11,201.93,--and thus enables Harvard men to have more athletic facilities. What alone makes the H. A. A. News valuable to advertisers and buyers is its sole "right" to the names and numbers. Ergo, H. A. A. has sole "right" to names and numbers. And if this suffices not to convince the newspaperman, he is warned that the way of the transgressor is likely to be strewn with those who sin and lose the privilege of press conference.

So the practice has gone for years. And as the Lampoon has, in its own ungracious fashion, pointed out, there is no decently logical reason for it. One is inclined, politely, of course, to ask Mr. Frank Ryan whether the power to give out numbers involves the power to claim a team as its own. One should like to know whether, for example, West Point was the opponent of Harvard's team or of Mr. Frank Ryan's H. A. A. team. One is rather inclined to feel that Harvard men, any Harvard men, even Lampoon men, have an equal "right" with H. A. A. to those numbers.

The financial syllogism is, of course, the keystone of H. A. A.'s defence. As such, and only as such, it deserves attention. It would pain most editors, it would pain Mr. Ryan, to be forced to the admission that the most valuable part of his pretentious magazine is a page of statistics Yet that is the none too tacit admission of H. A. A.'s antics last week. If it is true, then H. A. A. would be well advised to cease an annual worry, to abolish the "News," and to print, in its stead, a handier, cheaper cardboard scorecard. If it is not true, then there is small defence for an unhandsome and elaborate system of secrecy. This system has existed too long. It has been without reason save of the most obvious sort. If this weekend's news stories indicate anything, it is the butt of intelligent men. It will probably be continued.