ow

September 15, 1943.

Mr. C. E, McBride,
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas city, Moe

Dear Mac:

| It was very gracious of you indeed to send Jim St. Clair's
letter to me. Jim has expressed this opinion to me at times, and of
course this is very gratifying to me. I did it to. boost basketball,
the N.C.A.A. and maturally to boost Kansas City as the top city in the
United States when it comes to appreciative basketball patrons.

- Personally, I do believe that bringing this outfit of

moneyegrabbers out of the red at that time was a very opportune thing
for the N.C.A.A. I believe had it been attempted iri other cities it
would not heave much more than paid expenses, and the fact that they
were facing a five thousand dollar deficit would have meant the end of
basketball tournament competition for then. :

The only place they have made money outside of Kansas City
has been at Madison when Wisconsin was a contender and played in Wis-
consin‘s own field houre. To me this action stinks to high heaven.
When any management would play on a contender’s home floor, then it
shows to me that the management ilakis balance and certainly a sense of
sporting decency to ask other teams to play on the home team's floor,
end still call it a championship game. ;

I would not expect Jim St. Clair or anyons else to agree

_ with everything that I do. I don't agree with everything anyone else
does. Jim is a fine fellow. He belongs to the line of athletic
politicians. He served as the chairman of the nominating committee for
years for the N.C.A.A. basketball committea. In other words, he was

L. ¥. St. John's handy-man to nominate the slate that Saint puts up

and like all good lieutenants he succeeded to the chairmanship in due
time. Personally, I am not the type of fellow that would want to be a
lieutenant to St. John for any long era.

Anyhow, I don't agree with what Jim did and Jim doesn't
agree with what I do, so that is even.

I do appreciate your thoughtfulness in sending Jim's letter
to me because Jim knows that you and I are good friends. And to say
that you are my good friend means that you have taken a lot of beatings
in my behalf. But I appreciate a fellow like you who oan do that.

With all good wishes, Iam |

Sincerely yours,
FCA:AB a . Director of Physical Bducation.