Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-12-04
PRESIDENT AT
THE BIG GAME.
Army and Navy Score a Tie on
the GFidirOn at Princeton
Saturday.

0ent R00SoNelt, the secretary OF SldIe
the secretary of war, the secretary of
the navy, the cadet corps from Annap-
oils and West Point and about 10000
noncombatants saw the annual foot
ball game between the army and the
navy here. The president sat half of
the time on the navy side while the
navy was being beaten and the other
half On the army side while he sol
diers were losing their advantage. Thus
the chief executive displayed entire
impartiality between the two arms of
the service. Moreover, the game it.
self. one of the most spiritedly fought
of all the contests ever seen between
these traditional rivals, resulted in a
6 to 6 tie, the navy managing at the
eleventh hour to stave off imminent
defeat with a touchdown and a goal to
match those secured by the armyi in the
first half.
There was the greatest possible in
terest in the coming of the president
from Washington to see the match,
especially in view of the vigorous in
terest he has shown in the matter of
football legislation. There were n good
many persons present who felt that, so
far as Mr.. Roosevelt's influence could
reach, the game was more or less on
trial at Princeton. 1t is pleasant to be
able to say that the president saw a
smart. able exhibition of the great
American undergraduate game, siren
nously played, as indeed are all foot
ball games worthy the name, but free
from any faint Of foul play or personal
rancor.
As for the president himself, well, the
match was one long series of outbursts
Of enthusiasm that emphasized his per-
sonal popularity. With the president
were Mrs. Roosevelt, Secretary of State
Elihu Root. Secretary of War Taft, AS
sistant Secretary of the Navy Newber-
ry, Miss Ethel Roosevelt, Theodore
Roosevelt, .Jr., fresh from a strenuous
football season himself as an end on
the Harvard freshman team, and Ker-
nit Roosevelt.
The entire party were entertained at
the home of President Woodrow Will
son OF Prlncet0n university.
1t wasn't hard to understand why
the president defends football after the
game began. He was as excited as
the smallest youngster on he field and
when Hill, for the navy. dropped back
for a place kick he almost popped out
of his box watching the course of the
ball.
well it was a good try. anyway"
he said to Secretary Root, and the sec
rotary sadly shook his head and said
he reckoned it was.
AS for the game itself, it must be
said that it was quite the most des-
perately fought match in which these
rivals have ever participated.
1t was nip and tuck from the start.
There is little difference between the
strength of the two teams. The army
had a bit the better of the argument
in the first half of the match, while
The navy turned the tables in the sec
ond half. What might have happened
in those four minutes that the dark
ness cut off from the tail end of the
second half no man can say.
The army's touchdown was the re-
suit of fifty yards straight line plung-
ing and bucking by the army backs,
aided now and then by the powerful
Weeks. who fell back from his guards
position to carry the ball.
Just at the end of the match the mid
dies hammered and dashed their way
over the line to tie the score, and that
made their partisans in the stand fair
ly delirious.