The sun., 1916-11-25
ARMY UNLIMBERS
As NAVY CLEARS
DECKS FOR ACTION
Cadets Favored to Defeat Mid
dies in Annual Foot
ball Game.
PRESIDENT NOT COMING;
$4,000 WILL SEE GAME

PRESIDENT NOT COMING:
$4,000 WILL SEE GAME
Come; M your glasses: fellows
To singing sentimentsiiy
We're going for to 70.
In the army there's sobriety.
Promotions very SLOW,
So ven aims. our reminlscenses
OF Benny Ravens. oh!
The familiar strains OF Benny
Havsns Oh" which has been sung In
me service since some Of the srissled
and gray Generals were rosy checked
piebes at the Point. echoed last night
through grill room and corridor at the
Hotel Astor. where the advance guard
Of the Army was bivouacked. A few
blocks away at the Biltmore. where the
Navy had cast anchor. some OF the sea.
dogs were rehearsing Anchors Aweigh.
There was no doubt that the vocal pat
teries were prlmed for to-day's great
gridiron battle, the one time each year
when IN two branches OF the service
are deadly enemies.
Even the fact that It had been an
nounced from Washington President
Wilson. suffering with a heavy cold. VIII
be unable to come on for the DIG game
failed 10 cast any gloom over the gen
eral feeling OF Joy.
To.day's sreat game Is the twenty
FIRST annual football fray the Middies
and Cadets have engaged In. The
n offered the chance to even up the
score, the Army now having the bulge
on games won. OF the twenty games
the army hal won ten. the Navy nine
and one game-the memorable struggi
At Princeton in 1so5-resulted In a D
- 6 tie.
Army Boasts High Score.
Besides having the edge In games won.
the Gray n Gold possesses the hign
ecore honorr. having rolled up a 40 to 8
victory on the Blue in 1903. The Army
Mule also has the greatest run OF
victories. four straight. The Army made
IT. consecutive game record in 1901.
1902, 1908 1904. The Nays longest
string Of victories Is three. run up BY de-
feats Of the West Pointers In 1910. 1911
and 1912.
It was in 1890 that the Army.Navy
series was inaugurated. Football had
been played In Annapolis since 1883.
when the middies were defeated by
Johns HOPKINS by a score OF !: to o. In
1890 Annapolis sent a challenge to west
Point. The cadets accepted the den.
although most Of them had never seen .
football. M sea dogs went to West
Point and v~anquishcd the lsndsmen by q
score OF - to o.
The following year the army engaged
head coach. and after Ave preliminary
games, invaded Annapolis and
the middies. 80 to l6. From 1888 TO
1885, no games were played. the 1Ss:
battle being SO rough a one that the
Government officials limited that the two
military institutions better had give up
football. In 1899 the series was re-
sumed. the ~elevens clashing at Franklin
Field, Philadelphia. which served as the
battle ground until 1905. when II shifted
back to Princeton.
Came Here In 1913.
The service elevens went back to
Franklin Field in 1906. and played there
until 1919. when a change was made TO
the Polo Grounds here. Last year
Franklin Field again was the scene OF
conflict. The Polo Grounds was decided
upon for this years battle.
The death OF Cadet Byrnes. who was
killed In the West Point-Harvard game
in 1909. caused the cancellation Of the
Army-Navy game that fall. but the
Z ~ Wd6 NFuittN ~ ~
tween 1908 and 1913 no touchdown wal
scored by either eleven. the Navy win
ming the three games played in tina
period by field goals. The most sensa'
tional incident In an Army and Navy
game was Charley Days great ninety
eight yard run for a touchdown from
the kickoff In 1901. DAILY. who now Il
head coach at West Point. came from
Harvard to the Army that year. lie /,
49, ~ - nrr ~rnneA~A go - all
As far as the betting goes among tn
men OF the service. 1t Is all lone a
evens. neither soldier nor sailor evel
thinking Of asking or accepting odds
Among the gambling fraternity the Arm,
ha been made a 10 to 8 favorlte.
Comparisons are never SO odious q
In football. As far as comparisons O
scores 20 the Army apparently Is tn,
stronger eleven. as evinced by its scor'
against Villianova and its defeat o
Washington and Lee. which bowied owe
cloud is the great game II played agains
Glenn Warmers remarkable Pittsburgh
eleven. The middies only were beateI
20 to 10. the Navy defeat resulting from
the m!ddies' failure to kick goals from
touchdown.
Versatile BackAeld.
On paper the Army has one of tn,
most versatile backfelds In the annals O
the gridiron. Each Of the four back
has great all round ability. Each ca
run buck the line. punt. drop kick an
throw or receive the forward pass. Al
OF the quartet has had Western footbal
experience. Oliphant and Vidal probabl
are the two best men at forward passin
In football this year.
The Army team Is a veteran one. o
the other hand, many OF the Nav,
players are first year men. The entir
Navy backield liz OF plebe,
Roberts, the former Colgate player. is
truly great halfback. The Army wi
have trouble covering the former Colgat
collegian to-day. He may prove tn
games star.
Most experts credit the Army wit
having the superior backfeld. The line
from tackle to tackle seem OF abo,
equal strength. The middies APPARENT
have the best ends, although Shrader, IN
former Western track man who IL EMO,
ing his first year In football. has show
great improvement since the start Of III
season.
Both the Army and Navy teams eI
gagged In their Anal workout at the Pc
Grounds esterday afternoon. IT
cadets were first to take the field al
the midd!es followed soon after. TT
players OF both teams a a light sign
drill. which was followed by puntir
practice and running down under punt
Only coaches and players we're above
inside the grounds.
Police Commissioner Arthur +. Woo,
last night requested that all those Il
.iending to see to-day's big game arri'
ct the Polo Grounds before ! 80 o'cloc