Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-16
LOSS OF ARMY-NAVY GAME
STIRS BUSINESS MEN
Continued from Page One


which is attached hereto). whereby such
stadium will ultimately become the
property of said University ample pro-
vision having been made therein for per-
manently taking care of such events as
the Army and Navy game, worlds cham
pionship series, large municipal events
and pageants, etc, as well as the Uni
versity's big athletic contests under
standing further that the Chamber of
Commerce appreciates the value to the
city as well as to the University of such
n stadium and approves OF the project,
we believe that body should take further
steps as may be necessary to carry out
the plans to successful conclusion"
TRUSTEES ARE ENTHUSIASTIC
1t was stated today that these trustees
of the University have enthusiastically in
dorsed the plan: DIR. ]. William White,
chairman of the University of Pennsylva-
MIA Committee on the Army and Navy
Football Game; Marshall Morgan, of the
United Gas and Improvement Company,
and former Attorney General John C. Bell.
In report ksubmitted today to the
Chamber of Co Amerce Mr. NitZsche out
lines his plan for the proposed stadium
group.
The report follows:
philadelphia needs great stadium II
she expects to attract big athletic and
out-of-door events and to keep pace with
other large American cities. Yale, Har-
ward and Princeton have stadiums seating
from $4,000 to 10000, and even some
of the Western high schools, such as Ia
coma and San Diego have stadiums seat
ing from 20, 900 to 10000.
"The Polo Grounds in New York are
said to seat 1900, and there is a rumor
that they are about to build stadium in
New York seating more than double that
number.
MUST ACT AT ONCE.
"Frankln Fields seating capacity is
1924, although, with the temporary seats,
$1,000 have been crowded into 1t. Unless
Philadelphia makes an effort at once, she
cannot hope to bid for such big open
air events IS the Olympics, national pa
geants and the Army and Navy game. The
game has been becoming more and more
national event
1.-THE President and hundreds of the
most eminent men in public life attend
annually; with the proposed increase In
the army and navy the game will soon
attract 100000. Philadelphia cannot afford
to lose these games. Being half way be-
tween West Point and Annapolis is n good
reason why the ga le should be played in
Philadelphia every year.
1.-The great demand for tickets for the
last Penn-Cornell game. the supply of
which was exhausted several days before
the game, indicated that there is no rea-
son why q pennsylvania game Win any
of the big four would not attract crowds
of $1,000 or more. as the football game did
at Yale last fall.
'The same is true of the world series
baseball games; in the last six years
only once Philadelphia was not repre-
sented in the world series Almost mil
lion people attended these games and paid
almost S2,0O00O0 for admission; had they
had a stadium such as is here proposed
these figures might have been trebled.
Such a stadium would also attract other
big events such as the Olympic games,
national pageants, etc.-even the Uni
versity relay carnival would soon hll It.
Mr.. Nitzsche deals with the matter
of the stadium's site as follows:
1.-THE site suggested for the proposed
stadium is the natural ravine and basin
in Woodlands Cemetery, adjoining the
University Botanic Gardens, which at
present is separated from II by a blind
alley used as a city supply yard, al
though it is on the map as University
avenue The accompanying plan gives
picture of how this piece OF land, now
useless and unoccupied, could be used
to advantage 1t would answer all pur-
poses of the kind for generations to come.
ARGUMENT FOR SITE.
"As will be seen, the plan provides for
large educational building, parking
place for automobiles an open theatre
constructed near the site OF the one pre-
pared for Greek plays last June, only
having seats on the opposite slope as
indicated on the plan; and lastly huse