The San Francisco call., 1908-12-01
PRESIDENT SECURES
FOOTBALL COACH
FOR HARVARD
Assignment of Lieutenant
Graves of Army Due TO
RO0seveffs influence
Especial Dispatch to The Call

Especial Dispatch to The Call
WASHINGTON Nov. so-Lieutenant
Ernest Graves of the engineer corps to
whose good coaching the victory of the
Harvard football team in its. big game
with Yale is largely due, would never
have donned moIeskins and taught the
Harvard men the science of the game
had not President Roosevelt, a Harvard
man, personally taken a hand in the
matter 1t has been learned that the
war department. sat down hard on the
idea Of allowing Lieutenant Graves
to go to Cambridge to coach the. Har-
ward team after orders had been issued
for him to proceed to the Philippines.
But word from the president changed
all this it is said, and Graves was
granted months leave, most of which
he spent coaching Harvard. At present
he is speeding on his way to san Fran
cisco preparatory 10 shipping for Ma
ni1a-
A request was made to Graves to give
his services as coach TO. the Harvard
team. Graves applied for leave of abb
sence. In order to go TO cam bridge and
the request was turned down by the
war department through the head of the
engineer corps. That is the story go
ing the rounds in army circles. It is
said that Charley Daley, the quarter
back. who played first with Harvard, of
which ne was captain, and later entered
West Point and became the star OF the
West Point eleven. was responsible for
the action on the part of the president,
Daley has left the army, but has not
lost interest in Harry ard football. He
went TO. Annapolis with the. Harvard
team and saw the midshipmen tie the
crimson team and even outplay them.
The situation in the Harvard camp APP
peared desperate. Daley and. Graves
had played together upon the West
D5fs in I p 4oxr a 10
greatest respect for the football sense
of the West Pointer. He saw GRAY es
at the Annapolis game. Graves: listened
TO the Harvard pleas and for friend
ships sake agreed to try to get. leave
Of absence so he could go to West
Point Graves had been ordered..to duty
in the Philippines and was to sail as
soon as he had completed survey work
in New York state The department
refused to grant him leave. =.
Nothing daunted by the refusal
Daley. came to Washington to see the
president himself. He explained to
Roosevelt Harvard's need and how
Graves was Just the man to fill the bill.
Daley visited the White House twice on
this errand. it is said. Soon afterward
Graves was given an intimation blythe
war department. tnat II ne MADE a re-
quest for leave of absence it would be
granted. Graves made the request. OBJ
tanned the leave, and took the train for
Cambridge.
Inquiry was made at TIE war depart
ment today as to where Graves was
stationed. and the reply came promptly,
tThe Philippine islands,, 1t was pointed
out that Graves had been coaching the
Harvard football team for the last
month. and il was then admitted that
ne was on his way to San Francisco.
In his recent letter to Ernest NerWeibe,
the Harvard fullback, the president in
a postscript asks particularly that his
thanks be conveyed to Lieutenant
Graves for his work as coach of the
Harvard team.