New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-25
CADETS MIST Not PL4Y FOOTBALL.
ARMY AID NAVY OFFICERS AND THEIR FRIENDS
DISAPPOINTED WEST roINr AND ANNAP-
OILS CIIAGRlNED AND ~
MOTESISG

There will be no match game - football
Thanksgiving Day between the cadets o, the MIL
iary and Naval academies" the unwelcome
cdct that issued from the War ana Navy depart
ments a few days that T.. e. was unwelcome
to the cars % the young who looked forward
70 some day wearing the twin-stars In their shout
der-straps which designate the rank % a rear-ai-
mlral or a rnaJor-gcneral Tn" appeals from the
cadets 10 Secretary Herbert AMI Secretary Lamont
have been supported by appeals from the officers
Of both services and others who maintain that the
rivalry between the Two academies Is conducv" 10
good results hat neither OF the executives Of the
Military and Naval branches 81 the Federal Gov
eminent would modify his former decision. The
cadets have played match games for four years in
succession. and the score now stands three 10 one
in favor Of the Naval Academy. but the West
Pointers believe in the oil
II p, first you don't succeed
But the mandate has been issued. and II "a re-
qulred by the regulations OF both services that
rlors from q superior must be obcycd. The rea-
sons for prohibiting the match game are given In
General Schohelds Endorsement. He says that tho
game requires some mobilization. and II would be
difficult to enforce 1t for the that 'the OBJ
jectionable features those which contribute
most 10 success In contested game. They
those features which most dangerous TO HE
and limb. and may be SAID 10 most resemble mill
tary opera tons They none the less objection
able on that account. While It IL undoubtedly true
that experience In actual IL the best possible
military training modern civilization does not per
nit the making Of war for the purpose Of training
an army For Ike reasons the practise in peace
Of those operations which most resemble war must
be condemned notwithstanding the fact that they
are manifestly beneficial as military training.
The reports OF IN" superlntcnGenis show that the
casualties In the play Of football at West Point
are much greater than they ought to be- and the
al he e1il . riding. although
expert horsemanshp. being Indispensable in large
part OF the military service. must be acquired,
although much personal risk There Is little need
OF football at West Point simply means OF
physical training. and as such IT Is open 10 the
objection that 1t IL far from universal"
Further on General Schoheld admits that the
game IS useful as an entertaining. exhlaratng. alb
sorbing out-of-doOr sport. and for this reason
should be encouraged. but controlled by rules laid
down by the academic authorities; yet he says. the
annual games as proposed are open to insurmount-
able objection.
The decision crushing blow TO both acade
mics and TO their friends. for both teams have
worked hard at practice and hoped against hope.
II II majority In both services could have decided
IT the game would have been played; but, I'M
fortunately for the cadets and their friends the
majority has nothing to do with 1t. The majority
proposes and the Secretary dlsposes. The claim
made that the rivalry makes bad friends on both
years game. The Navy team won by a OF
10 1. the West Pointers took their defeat man
fully; the AnnnpOtans gave them reception and
did not crow over their victory friendships were
formed between members of both teams that VIII
last through lifo and this year both teams com
posed OF the best In the academies. ana both have
been coached by Yale College men-the Navy by
Wurtemberg. and the Army b. Graves About forty
cadets turn ont al each academy every year
diiates for the football team, and this number IL
kept on through the training HIST unill the time
comes for the selection OF the team.
IL IS disputed by he cadets and many Of ,h-
officers that the training destroys discipline among
Army, in recent paper said that he had
TO acknowledge that among scientific and we-dsci-
plined payers the element OF danger was less
marked than among average payers.
American Physiological Society maintained that
investigation to b. due 10 gross circl and
that all Injuries which ne had witnessed the
football field In games Played by gentlemen and well
matched players had been amenabe TO treatment
and resulted In perfect cures
surgeon Harvey replies to this by stating that
during the autumn OF 1898 al West Point thru four
cadets played football. and furnished hfty-four
cases OF accidents.
Surgeon W. ". Keen. in paper on statistics
concerning football injuries at West Point. shows
that the relative dangers OF football compared with
other forms OF athletics Immensely greater
However that may be. the powers that be- have
decided that there shall be no match game and
that's the end ont