Evening star., 1911-08-27

count of the big attendance from " ASH
ington Harvard and Yale are out OF the
question. New York is eliminated be-
cause that city has no stadium M, large
sanction the construction of one. even
though the two academies would finance
it.
Princeton is central enough from q geo.
graphical location, but the hotel and
other facilities are too inadequate. -,e
experiment of several years ago taught
the two academies the utter uselessness
Of trying to play their annual game and
entertain their guests in Tigertown. As
last resort they have been dickering
with the Philadelphia ball clubs for the
use OF one Of their fields, but these are
not adapted to foot ball. and the soiu-
as ever.
The only way out of the trouble now
seems to be for the academies to make
arrangements with Pennsylvania Tor the
permanent enlargement OF Franklin
Fields amphitheater, which could be
made to seat 10000 more people at little
expense, or at least at an expense which
could be taken care OF within the next
Ave years. Pennsylvania had absolutely
refused to listen to the suggestion that
Franklin Field be leased for this game.
This would enable the academies to en-
tertain their guests properly.
But the difficulty of securing a field Is
not the only thing that worries the two
academies. Incy cAI dsfc0 Ou q .uoto
for the game West Point wants 1t
played November D. while Annapolis Is
holding out for a date one week later.
This has been bone OF contention be-
tween the academies for number OF
years. 1t has always been settled In
favor of the Navy, but only because the
game was played on Franklin Field, and
Pennsylvania has steadfastly refused to
give them the field until after her game
with Cornell Thanksgiving day. 1t is
xl,ax H. n,,ol
on this date, but the Thanksgiving day
game is the most important on their
schedule, and the playing OF the spec
tacular Army Navy game In advance OF
it would undoubtedly interfere with the
attendance.
To those who are acquainted with the
tolerance with which the government au-
thorities have always treated the athietics
of the academies it looks as though the
two are running serious risk OF having the
game Cancelled altogether by prolonging
their negotiations in their inability to
agree on either date place for the
game. 1t would not be surprising IL they
were ordered shortly to settle their diff
ferences or have the game Cancelled.
Early Start for Olympic Games.
From the announcement of their plans
| it is plain to see that both England and
the United States propose to get a flying
start in their preparations for the Olym-
pic games to be held in Stockholm
Sweden, next July. Any one who knows
the quality of the men who are running
| the American team does not need to bt
| told that this country will not be caught
mapping. But the agitation In English
athletic circles is surprising.
On this side of the water steps are
already being taken to raise fund OF
$4,000 with which to defray the ex-
| penses of the American team This
means that the United States will spend
three times as much as 1t did In 1908,
when about 100 men were taken. IL the
proposed sum Is collected this country
will be better represented than ever be-
fore. It Is not expected that the team
will be overburdened with material be-
cause of more money to spend. But 1t
will be represented In more events. while.
of course. more men will be taken. In
1908 1t was necessary to leave number
of good men at home because there was
not enough money to pay their expenses
Then, too. q number of athletes went
with the 1908 team whose expenses were
paid either by private individuals or
clubs, So when 1t Is considered that the
trip to Stockholm will be considerably
there should be no delay on the part of
the American public in contributing the
required amount to permit this country
| to retain its position at the head of In
ternational athletics.
The clean sweep which the United States
made in 1908 and the knowledge OF the
extensive plans made for next year have
served to spur the English on to greater
endeavors. Some OF the London athletic
experts have. been bemoaning a lack of
interest on the part of their fellow men
and have been urging them to adopt
some Of the training methods of the
Americans. Their defeat in most of the
important events in 1908 was severe
ID
In the opinion of the experts there is GER
tain to be a repetition Of this at Stock
holm unless England matches America
in generous support of the team nnan-
cially, and the industrious training OF
our athletes. In 1908 the games being
held in London gave the English a de-
cided advantage. Their location In Stock
holm this year will put the two countries
on a more even footing.
Speaking of the Olympic games, the re-
cent performances of M. w. Sheppard,
the Olympic 800 and 1,500 meter cham
pion, would indicate that he will make
the 1912 team, and still be in condition to
duplicate his victories.
Within the last few weeks Sheppard
has again taken up the running of the
mile in which he has hopes OF making a
new record. 1t has been a dream of
Sheppards for some time TO lower the
mark of 4.153s, which stood SO long to
the credit of Tommy Conneff. Now he
thinks he can better the mark of 4.15 2-5
set by j. p. Jones at the intercoileeiates
this year. Sheppard has never run mile
in better than 4.22 but he has run
longer distances in record time, and is so
fast for the 40 and $50 yards that the
chances are for q performance quite close
to the record, though 1t would be most
surprising II he should approach or bet
ter Jones mark. His effort at the COM
ing Canadian championships will be
watched with wide interest.