FOOTBALL
THE HIGH SCHOOL GAME. (To the Editor.)
Sir.-Poor old High School. For some time now there have been indications in the press of the insidious efforts of some body or other designed to wreak some sort of revenge upon the heads of the High School for daring to remain loyal to 'soccer,' and not dancing to the crack of the whip of the Football League. It is not alone that the League assails this 'soccer' stronghold, but various obliging members of the Legislature, by devious designss, seek to humiliate the school by getting one of its financial props lopped away. There seems to be a concerted movement between the Australian football people and the Labor Party to make the High School eat humble pie if it will not be 'persuaded' to cast aside the baneful influence of 'soccer' and embrace the national game. Why the game, if it Is so meritorious, needs so much covert championing, beats me. Some Labor members even dub the young men of tho school 'snobs.' I suppose if they 'took on' Australian football they would cost the skin of snob and be come jolly good 'blokes,' Mr. Boas professes amazement that the school should play anything but the 'national game,' Thore are a lot of things, we are told to do because of the so-called nationalism — one of them is 'Vote for the Labor Party,' Senator Needham has an especial weakness for that sort of claptrap, but we don't all follow his advice.
Perhaps Mr, Boas doesn't know that in Queensland the Marist Brothers (equivalent to the Christian Brothers here) permit most of their schools to play 'soccer.' Some play Rugby; but I don't know of any that play the national game. In New South Wales there is precious little of the national game played in the colleges. They play another game, which they are inclined to think is very much more ''national'— Rugby—and yet it is rarely that anyone wonders. That is left to Westralians at this remarkably late day. The fact is, Mr. Boas and his co-workers are alarmed at the steady but certain spread of 'soccer' throughout Australasia, and, like Canute with the Sea, they are trying to keep it back. They seek to begin with the High School. Training College and the central schools have all had their sieges, and still they hold out. If I am not a bad Judge, High-School will, too, for there is an atmosphere of order about Westralian 'soccer' which will kecp it flourishing in spite of its traducers and enemies.
Yours, etc, THE REAL FOOTBALL. Perth, July 10, 1912.
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