Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1912-11-30
GAME is USUAL WAS
GREAT SOCIAL EVENT
Hundreds Of Loyal Supporters Ex-
pressed Confidence in Teams.
HOTEL F0YERS CROWDED.
Officers Retired end or Active Duty
Assembled 10 See YouHger Fellows
Do Battle.
Especial Dispatch to The Capital.)

Especial Dispatch to The Capltal.)
Franklin Field. Philadelphia, Nov.
80. The stage was well set fer the
struggle between the Military and
Naval Academies in their annual foot
ball game. which was as usual gre at
event, both from a sporting and So
ci al standpoint.
There was just one department of
the government service upon which
the success of the contest depended.
and that was the Weather Bureau,
and true 10 the fore casts made last
night, a more ideal combination of
weather could not have prevailed for
a football game. Old Sol shone
brightly on the hardened turf of
Franklin Fled. that bade fair for
fast game. The air was chilled by
a gentle breeze from the north, just
sufficient to make the participants
put lots of vim and dash into their
work, and at the same time caused no
discomfort to the great throng of
spectators.
Local supporters of the rival teams,
numbered in the hundreds and thous-
ands, were on hand early, and every
where could be heard, voicing their
belief in the football teams of 1912.
The hotel foyers were crowded all
last night and early today, especially
at the two where the warriors of the
Gold and Blue and the Black, Gold
and Gray, had their headquarters.
GrizzIed old seafarers who COM
manded memo war before the modern
types of battleships were believed
possible, sat with retired land fighters
in the lobby of the Bellevue-Strst-
ford Hota FL, the Army headquarters,
gazing intently at scene of anima
tion and color only to be seen in the
ew hours before an Army and Navy
game.
Bevies of pretty girls from mahy
parts of the country, all elegantly
gowned, greeted strapping young en-
bryo tars and future generals. The
gray uniforms of the West Point
cadets contrasted strongly with the
blue of the Annapolis students as the
rivals mingled.
Ruddy,y yet dignified officers of Uncle
Sans sea dogs exchanged cOurtesies
with officers of the United States
Army, while the wives and relatives
of all formally met one another. An
endless chaino of persons, many naval
and army dignitaries, wended its way
toward Franklin Field.
In the solarium on the roof of the
Bellevue -Stratford the pigskin war
riCrs who fought under the army
flag, were given final lecture.
Over in the Walton Hotel, the naval
headquarters. the navy team also re-
ceived instructions. Outside both
hotels there were ticket scalpers
Offering to sell 'pairs" of seats for
the game for SIS.
Navy men predicted that their IA
vorites would win, and the Army men
were Just AS confident of victory.
The result was that many bets were
placed. Even money that each team
would win prevailed. But among the
sporting fraternity Army was favor
ite at odds of 5 to a.
Every branch of the government
service was represented. OF course,
officers of the Navy and Army out
numbered representatives of other
departments. There were diplomats,
United States Senators, Represen-
tatives-in Congress, Governors, Gov
ernors-elect and many other men who
have distinguished themselves in va
rious public walks. The Army sup
porters as usual had the south stand
and the north stand was the Navy's.
Reaf-A Admiral John A. Rodgers, a
grizzled old seaman, one of the early
arrivals, smiled grimly when he wa
asked in the lobby of the Walton who
was going to win. Navy" he said. |
But you'd better not take an old
mans word for it if you want to be
sure. Ask some of the cubs" he
continued. Mrs. Rodgers is here
with the Rear Admiral.
Rear-Admiral Pendleton, formerly
commandant of the Philadelphia navy
yard, was equally loyal to the blue |
and gold. 81 don't Fnow much about |
the game myself" he said. ~ just
came to see the youngsters roll |
around in the mud. But they told me
the Navy was going to win and, of
course, believed it"