Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-09-26
NO CHANCE FOR
AN ARMY-NAW
FOOTBALL GAME
Congestion Of Transportation
Even For One Day Too Serious
To Allow Sport To Interfere
OLD OBJECTIONS
AS VITAL AS EVER
Officials Last Year Refused To
Take Chances OF Transporting
Middies And Cadets To Site

There will positively be no army
navy fotball game this year This is
the opinion OF an officer high in rank
at the Naval Academy who above all
others is in a position TO know all of
the chances for and against the prob
abilities of the big inter-service con-
test. This officer when asked today
what the chances are replied lacon-
ically none"
A strong effort has been TO stir up
interest in the game and the pre-
diction has often been made that the
chances of the two service teams get
ting together are good. However, this
would appear to be an error. There
are so many questions involved In the
Importance in war way that the
prospects of game have gone "a
glimmering"
1t is felt that even If the Secretar-
les of War and the Navy should be
willing to forego their ruling of last
year refusing to take the chance of
Transporting the regiment OF mid
shipmen and that from West Point
to some neutral field there would be
other and strong governmental OBJ
jections.
To transport the great sport-loving
hosts of the East to the game would.
it is pointed out, seriously hamper
the movement of troop trains and
simply give the transportation fa-
cilities of the country useless trouble
requiring several days of re-adjust-
ment before the normal conditions
of traffic could be established. This
objection would, 1t is pointed out, be
almost as valid even if the regiments
from West Point and Annapolis were
compelled to remain at home The
movement of civilian rooters and par
tisans to witness the game would be
great and this in itself would consti-
tute a blocking of the railroads of
the east with purely pleasure-seek-
ing crowd. On this ground IL is as
serted the chances are very great that
Federal Railroad Administrator Nc
Adoo would probably put veto on
the plan for a game. The plan which
has been given publicity in an effort
to stir interest in the game, by hav-
ing it played as a Red Cross benefit,
has failed to meet with such approval
as would Offset the other objections.
In addition to all other considera-
tions, 1t is pointed out that the prime
objection, raised last year, of risk
ing the potential officers for the future
navy by packing them needlessly into
trains the routing and schedules OF
which would be well known ahead
of time is even more pressing this
year than before. The number of
youths to be transported is greater by
hundreds than ever before.
The football management at the
Academy has determined to secure as
strong an opponent as possible for
November 16, without reference to
the playing of the Army game on the
following Saturday.
Previous to this time, there was a
disposition to hold off pending the set
tlement as to the final game, there
being no wish to encounter a very
ctADn6 OppOnNnt just WcCk UclDTt
the final game. II has now been de-
cided, however, to go ahead and get
as strong team as possible for that
date. The management is anxious to
hear from teams which may have an
open date.
The Wednesday afternoon recess
gave the opportunity yesterday for a
longer practice than on any previous
day this week, and for considerable
gallery of midshipmen to assemble to
encourage the squad Two teams ran
through signals under Coach Dobie,
and then lined up for 20 minutes of
good, haord football
Orr, Roberts, BEtler and Alvord
made up the backfeld of one team,
and Benoist, Severn, Rodes and Raw
lings the other
Captain Ingram was out of the
practice on account of the illness of
a close relative, while several squad
men were kept out by minor injuries
or touches Of the Flu.