25 JUNE 1942, Page 11

Sin,—As a member of Rugby School I am unable to

leave unchallenged the surprising statement of Messrs. Ellun ants Scott that prowess at sports gains more approval in the school than intellectual ability. In my opinion this is a complete reversal of the truth: Rugby has been able to keep a due sense of proportion in this much-discussed matter, and to suggest that athletic capabilities meet with more praise from the thinking section of the community would be entirely wrong.

Dr.- Arnold is in. no small measure responsible for this, by his intro- duction of the Sixth system, and it is entirely due to this system that we have suffered as little as any other school from the unwelcome incursions of the " games-buck " and the false sense of proportion which he brings in his track. The fact, however, that a member of the XI or the XV is considerably more conspicuous to the rest of the school than the more important intellectual achievements, deceives many. But there can be no reasonable doubt that intellect receives its due of praise from the majority, even if not the more spectacular hero-worship of the athlete.