The Southern herald., 1912-12-27


sionally with col '' '"''S~'3
lege athletes not only In football but In wrestling
rowing, boxing or any other sport.
So to further this specially there Is IN the
navy a regularly organized feet athletic commit
tee composed of five officers. Lieut.. s. c. Hooper
OF the flagship Connecticut Is at the head OF It,
This committee exercises a general oversight
over all sports and arranges dates for regattas
and sporting events. Outside the daily participa-
ton in sports, there are four distinct seasons
when Jack is put on his mettle SO far as athletics
go. They are when the games are pulled of at
Guantanamo, Newport, Bar Harbor and Boston,
when the feet is together. At such times interest
ashore is quite as great as aboard ship.
II rooters for college games think themselves
the acme Of infectious enthusiasm 1t is because
they haven't seen navy contest. 1t takes
bunch of jackies, effervescing with the excite
ment of an ntership contest, to give the former
cards and spades in emotional pyrotechnics, for
the games are always vigorously contested, the
various ships crews being represented on the
side lines, bowling encouragement in their own
peculiar fashion.
AS rule competition in the events Is elimina.
tive, the ships first contesting by divisions In
championships playing each other for feet cham
pionship.
For the last two years the Connecticut team has
won the football trophy-a wooden football,
gilded.
1t is when the feet is In southern waters for
aerial target practice that baseball is particularly
enjoyed.
Then" says Lieutenant Hooper, baseball par
ties are landed each day and the games are as
hotly contested as those Of the major leagues
The men are as rabid fans as those ashore and
keep as sharp tabs on the official scores any
! landsman Each evening about o'clock the
scores of the various games in the National and
American leagues are sent from the flagship by
radio
when 1t comes to the boat races" says the
chief athletic officer "the sailor is naturally in
his element and the races are highly spectacular.
The course is usually between the line OF ships
and as the boats skim over the waters all the
men man the rails and cheer their favorite team
10 the echo"
For this competition the regular twelve-oared
service cutter of the navy is used, that is unless,
as sometimes happens, the men of special ship
get together and buy one Of their own. Such a
craft is generally termed "tailor-made" boat
because of its superior style and finish. The
Battenberg cup presented by Prince Louis for
the crew races, is most desired and all efforts
are bent at winning 1t. large number Of other
cups have at various times been put up for COM
petition, among them one by August Belmont
Money prizes are sometimes offered too and a
snip Will sometimes WIN as mucn as $0,UUU In
purses. One year the Indiana won that sum, and
the Maine $4,000 in a special event, threemile
race, which was pulled off In 26 minutes. On
the same occasion the marines on the Indiana
won purse of $4,000 besides the Dutch challenge
cup.
In Guantanamo also occurs the final bouts tc
determine the feet championships in boxing
For this the men train as inddstriously as though
they were really the white hopes" Of the pro
szsiona class and IN spite Of the fact that their