New-York tribune., 1907-11-26
ARMY CAPTAIN TALKS.
LOOKS FOR 4 VICTORf
Thinks Vest Pointers Are Good
Euougk to Beat Nary This Year.

1--WE are going to Philadelphia 70 WIN -, .'i,,
wear" he said. ITO beat the Navy n- -.
our one aim throughout the season ENeIS
else has been made subservicnt TO that' anu
tell YOU the Army team this year Is Ihe ei'"'o''
fighting team l have ever seen. ~
Captain Smith has right 10 oe piouu 0' 60
team, and if il wins the Navy game on od'-
,,rdav the 'O7 West Point eleven Will go doWh
in Tie annals of football history as one ol the
greatest of all the great teams that nave fought
for the grand old gray battanoh'
The ARMY team tied Yale, the unquestlohto
cbampion of the East and lost to Cornell by
close score and the football experts are ASKING
themselves if the fierce playing cadet team
would not have humbled Cornell had II peeh
the policy of the Army coaches 10 Se' 'iS team
on edge for that game.
To Smith must go much of the credit for the
great work of the team. He has played an
excellent game all season, and his defensive WORK
has classed him as one of the best men lor So So
ondary defence playing the game to-day. bu'
it is not his individual playing that WINS 1or
him the highest praise and has made MN
suitable leader of a splendid football lnachlhe'
it is on the other hand, his personal charac-
teristics.
To summarize Captain Smiths comparison OF
the two elevens, from tackle to tackle the Army
should have the advantage over the Navy the
Navy ends superior to the Army s. nut De
hind the line the West Point combination is
collectively stronger than any the midshipmen
can put on the field. In punting Beavers shoulu
a little more than hold his own against Douglas
on the whole the Army should win.
Talking for The Tribune, Captain Smith sald:
First of all to understand the situation this
year it is necessary TO go back to the one that
existed last year when we lost to the Navy
10 to o.
Then we had schedule that called on us
to play Harvard, Yale and Princeton on sue
cessive Saturdays. Those games were late IN
the season. and made special preparation for
each one Harvard was lucky to beat us . to v;
Yale defeated us 10 TO q; Princeton could not
l-f-l bod NHDe QlE
from the field, while we could not score.
THE strain of these games took more out or
US than could get back in time TO meet the
Navy. That had reached our highest deVel-
opment and going back was evident when
Syracuse came down here and defeated us
q the week before the Navy game We were
overtime and lost the final game 10 to 0.
When I was elected captain of the team l
decided 10 make out schedule that would
obviate this Yale the only one of the old
big four met this year and Cornell was
our other hard game.
MY idea was to develop the team gradually,
getting it right edge for the Navy and sub
serving every other game 10 the Navy game
This policy has been fully carried out.
"Our team showed latent strength when II
able to tie Yale. After that game II was
hard-very hard-not TO develop It little more
rapidly that might he prepared for Cor
nell. II was hard not to do this, but remeH1-
bered policy and did not do so. Well. we
lost the Cornell game, but yet, with an entirely
undeveloped defence, we scored 10 points against
them.
Now with that game over. it was about time
to begin our final stage of preparation of de-
velopment Slowly but surely we have been
rounding into shape. Steadily we have developed
a strong offence and are strengthening our de-
fence When we take the field against the
Navy on Saturday should be right on edge
and capable of playing our best game of the
season.
I'VE are going to Philadelphia remen bering
hat q def Ofl asst W going
there to win. We are not considering defeat, and
we would be much disappointed with tie
game. We have got one of the greatest fighting
teams I
we do not underestimate the strength of the
Navy. They have a strong team down there.
and. no matter how they play against anybody
else they always play great football against us.
We are not overconfdent but are going into
that game to win it, Nothing less will satisfy
me. No I don't care to undertake to predict
the score.
Il expect the Navy will outweigh slightly
though I do not think there will be any mate
rial difference in the weight of the two elevens
"On the ends the advantage lies with the
Navy. In Dague they have wonderful player
and one dangerous TO any team. Demott. l hear,
is also good. So, the whole concede them
superority there although our ends are de-
veoping rapidly and be relied on TO do their
work well. Ayres. Stearns Johnston and Under
wool all good men, and which two will be
selected TO play the positions has not been
definitely decided yet
THE tackles seem to me to be about stand
off, with the advantage, II any. in our favor
Northcroft is good man, but either Pullen II
he is well enough to play. or Fowler. should give
him about as much he attend to. Fowler
has developed rapidly that he is just
about good a man as Pullen. At the other
tackle have slight advantage
Il do not think the Navy has a man who can
equal Erwin guard Both of their guards
Wright and Meyer-are good. reliable men, espe-
cialy Wright. But Erwin is better than either
and ! believe will have decided advantage
there, unless Slingluff help his guards mate
rally. The other guard position looks to me to
be nearly ever, with what advantage there is in
our favor.
AT centre the Navy has OF the best men
playing that position in Sllnglufi 1 remember
his work in the game last year, and he is
great player. He outweighs Philoon, is both
strong and fast and knows the game. Last year
he undoubtedly steaded his guards a lot. But
Phoon is gritty and good player. and is also
accurate passer. Slngluff is the best man in
the Navy.
Behind the line the Navy seems to be some
what up in the air. If newspaper dispatches are
to be relied With us have a wealth of
good material to choose from, which makes final
selection somewhat difficult There are Beavers
HanlOn, Chamberlain. Grebe, Mountford, Kern
Garry and other good men.
"At quarterback Mountford is better than
Lange, in my opinion. He is experienced
and is heavier We have three men whom we
rely upon TO run the team we'll whereas
understand the Navy is without good substi-
tute
Captain Douglas and Beavers should GER
tainy do some fine punting and if there is a
punting duel 1t will be Sworth seeing. Beavers
has been improving steadily and any one who
saw our game with Syracuse knows what he can
do. Douglas is also splendid punter, but do
not think he has anything on Beavers in that
important department of the game Both of
them will probably average over fifty yards next
Saturday