13.

which.is the better, One fellow stationed here with me played on the Nebraska

ball team last winter. jie get together quite often. . » » » I have signed and

_ passed all paratroop qualifications and so I'll go to Fort Benning sometime _

around the first of July. I have also passed 0,C.S., but getting the appointment

. after paratroop training is next." Congratulations, Pote, on your fine leader-
ship at Camp Wolters. Wo are pulling for that 0.0,5, appointment. see

Major E. R. Elbel (School of Aviation Medicine, Randolph Field, Texas)
has written me from the former swanky Don Cesar private club which. now has been
converted into the Don Cesar AAF Hospital for psychoneurotics at St. Petersburg,
Florida. Dr. Elbel spent a couple of days at the hospital, and much to his de~
light ran into Captain Raymond Swenson who is in charge of physical recreation
there. Ray is a former Kansas State graduate and took his Master's degree in
Education with a major in Physical Education here at the University of Kensas.
| Without the’ commending officer knowing that Dr,.Elbel was well acquainted with
Cdpts Swanson, the CO certainly wasted no words in commending the splendid work
that Capt. Swanson is. deing. : 7 :

i Major Blbel also mentioned that he met Major Hayden He Donahue (M.D.'41)
and had a nice visit with him. Major Elbel characterized him as 4 EG te, GaN
Phi Delt who ran on the track toam about 1935 or '36." Maj. Donahue is assist-
ant to Lt. Col. Grinker, chief psychiatrist. :

I am happy to reecive a: letter, dated May 16, from Lt. (jg) Wayne Clover,

@ Kappa Sig who went to K.U. along with Ray Noble, Paul Rogers, Howard Engleman,
and a few other famous Kappa Sig basketballers, and.who received his B, S, in
Businogs in 142. Lt. Clover had written mo on March 20, wanting me to settle
en argumont. He says: “Why is it that Easterners are so narrow-minded? We —
just received the issue of Life with the write up of the Ste Johns toam. Those
‘on this ship from the east say St. Johns is the best team and has been since
basketball started. Also they claim to have the best coach. I offered to bet
#50 that the Kansas teams and the kansas coach have. sucha far bettor record
that Ste Johns wouldn't even show, If it isn't too much trouble would you, if
you have the information available, send me all the national statistics that
will show Kansas record as against.St. Johns, or better still any national
statistics. Which is the recognized national championship-the National Invitation
Tournament, or the National AAU that is played in -KeC.?.. How about Kansas record
- in playing Eastern’ teams? 1 maintain that in soy the ten years before the war
Kansas overall record will stand up against ony of them, and that the East.as a
section plays inferior ball. It makes my blood boil to have some half-baked
Jersey er Breoklyn zoot-suiter blast any one oxcept the East. I want proof to
» show then up beforo every officer on this ships..." .

On March 3lst I sent Wayne this rather lengthy letter:

"the tournament that you speak of is the National Collegiate Athletic
Association Tournament. The United States is divided into eight, collegiate
districts, four wost. of tho Mississippi River and four east of the Mississippi
River. The Big Ton is number four, the Missouri Valley territory is number five,
tho Southwest Conference is six, the Rocky Mountain area is seven, and the Pacific
Coast area is number eight. ‘oer |

"ginee 1939 a national championship of universities and one-year resi-~ -
dence colleges has beon played. _;The plan is that tho four districts of the
NCAA east of the Mississippi mect and play off the Eastern NCAA finals, and the
four teams west of the Mississippi meet and. play off the Wostern NCAA finals.
Then the eastern winners mest the western winners for the NCAA championship
which is, in fact, tho big collegiate championship of tho, United States.