December 4,1957,
910 S.Michigan Ave.,
Chicago, Illinois.

Dear Mr.Allen:-

With the 1937 - 1938 basketball season
rapidly getting under way I again find great interest in
your Basketball Bible. While vast changes have been made
in the rules and regulations since your book was written I
note that there are really no changes necessary in the men
who play the game - now just as then it is the man with the
winning spirit that forges to the fore. I have read several
times your article about that one great game and wish that I
might have seen it. It is a shame that the spectators at the
game did not understand what courage it took for your men to
Play as they did. In connection with Endacott's fighting his
way into sixteen jump balls - were the rules such at that time
as to enable one of the jumpers to take the ball himself after
tipping it in midair ? If not,how did Endacott ever manage
to get into such a position as to enable him to participate
in every one of those jump balls ?

At the office whére I am eployed - a
masini of us have formed a team to compete in a local league.
We get to practice but about two hours one night each week,
Only two of the men have ever played before,I mean to say
that only two of these man have played along side one another.
Our problem is to make a unit out of our ten men, Thus far
we have devoted our time mainly to fundamental practice with
a short period for scrimmage thrown in each practice night.
Four of us have been Bplaying a long while - the other men
are hew employees - mainly youngsters about 18 to 20 years
of age. We have not had a chance to work on any plays and
do not anticipate attempting to do so inasmuch as the little
time we spend together prevents our working well enough to
properly perform plays. We expect to concentrate of short
accurate passes to work the ball in for short shots - using
wherever possible screening.

Our main problem has to do with what
type of play we shall engage in when we get the ball under
our basket after the other team has scored. We play on a
large floor. We are undecided if we should rush one of our
fast forwards down the floor in an attempt to get ahead of
our opponent's defense or if we should keep our men more
or less in the backcourt to provide the man who takes the
ball off side with plenty of men to pass to. Another feature
about which we have had a discussion is this - when the other
team gets the ball under their basket - shall we drop back
or shall we retain our positions - playing a man to man

defense - and try to intercept the pass ?