Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-12-26

Midshipman Archibald III. Douglass,
the great athlete of the Naval Acad-
emy, has announced his intention of
trying for the crew during the coming
rowing season. He has never rowed
before, but has all the marks of sue
cessful oarsman. He is six feet tall,
weighs $50 pounds and is immensely
strong, besides being full of athletic
spirit. Douglass will be able to take
part i'm rowing next season and also
the following, if the class graduates
at the regular time, instead of in Feb
ruary as has been customary for sew
eral years past.
The decision of Douglass, who has
been elected captain of the football
team for next season, marks the com
plete breaking away from principle
To which strict adherence has been
given for several years past at the Ma
val Aeademy-that all things should
be subordinated to football and that
any athletes whose services would
likely to be needed by the eleven
should not engage in any other branch
of athletics.
The crew has particularly felt the
force of this restriction and the splen-
did work which Coach Richard Glen
don has done for the three seasons
past, has been in spite of the fact
that some of the men who have the
marks of the best rowing material
have been denied him on account of
the idea that rowing had the tenden-
cy to make them slow. on the other
hand, il is argued that the sire myth,
endurance and stamina that rowing
puts in man far overbalances any
possible lessening of speed, though this
claim is contested by the rowing men.
At the opening of the season of 1900,
the Navy needed a center and found
one in Causey, who, though he had
played little football, had rowed on
the crew for several years. He rapidly
developed into one of the best centers
the Navy ever had. During the sea
son just past, Ingram, the captain and
stroke of the crew, deyelopd into q
splendid back and made the touchdown
against the Army. He had played
little football and none of that behind
the line, but distinctly ascribes his
athletic ability to his training on th'
crew.
These two notable instances. went ;
large way towards exploding the no
tion that work on the crew hurt I
player for football practice and ther,
is not likely to be any further trouble
| on this score either by the aquatic in
| terests or the baseball and field anC
track aggregations, both of which hav'
| had difficulty at times in getting th'
| candidates they wished because of th'
| opposition of the football authorities
| Among the officers who are influen
/ tial in athletics and who do not be
lieve the crew work Injuries a man
aptitude for football is Lieut.. Josepl
NJ. Reeves, who is now statione'
here. lie rowed on the crew and play
| ed football for nearly the whole of hi
| course at the Naval Academy ant
steadily improved along both lines
lie will be particularly remembers
as the player who practically won th
game of 1898 against the Army by hi
| wonderfully fast work in getting dow
the field under Bagley's long punt
| and mailing the back who receives
the kick.
| III is believed that Douglass vii
| make n splendid oarsman, but thos
/ specially interested in baseball ar
/ much disappointed, as Douglass wa
| thought to be the most likely success
| sor OF Needham as the pitcher of tn
nine, and was relied upon to do mos
of the work during the coming season
| However, it is generally thought tha
the strength and endurance which h
| will develop with the crew thi
| spring viii be a big asset on tn
| gridiron next fall.