Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-04-26
MD|SHPIIN SHOULD
LEAD IN ATHIE TICS
What Coach Wright Said About
Rowing Might Be Applied TO
All Branches OF Sport
SOME DRAWBACKS STILL

When Coach Joe Wright Of the Uni-
lyersity of Pennsylvania crews called
tattention 10 the great advantages that
the Naval Academy squad has IN the
physique. condition. training and gem
teral system of discipline 81 its mem
bers. and said that the wonder was
THAT the Midshipnen ever lost race
Ahe voiced what good many people in
land ont Of The Navy are beginning TO
Isay. There has been time when at
lfention was called To the comparative
nv short hours Ii was possible 70 de-
vote 10 athletic practice at the Naval
Academy, but now II ID beginning to
be realized that the advantages in 9TH
er directions. such as Wright has
pointed onf. are sufficient compensa
tions.
No one can doubt that the progress
1.-THE aiidshipmen have made In differ
ent branches within the last few years
and the prospects Of maintaining q
much larger student body than be-
\ fore, points to the possible attain-
uaent OF an athletic position as high as
THAT of any institution In the country
The one thing which seems to be IN
1.-THE way is the fact that so few Of the
|contests iii which the Midshipmen en-
gage are PLAYED on the grounds OF
their opponents This. admittedly.
gives the Midshipmen some adyant-
age, and prevents them from claiming
1.-The position which the work of their
teams often wins them.
This Ii particularly true as to foot
ball. the sport which is the accepted
index of athletic premiership in the
colleges. Some years the Midship-
men and West Point Cadets have be-
3lieved that they had the two best
teams Iii the country and that the
game between the two actually settled
THE championship. but their failure to-
iplay other big colleges has prevented
amy definite settlement or the Ques-
8tion For several years past neither
has had schedule worthy Of d team
3of high standard and this will be the
lease next year.
a great many people see no reason
why the MidshIpmen should be held so
strictly To contests on their own
lgrounds. The rule is not iron-clad.
flor fhe Academy Is allowed to play the.
Military Academy each year on neu-
trial grounds, the crew is permitted to
row In the Henley, the fencing team
enters the Intercollegiate tournament.
land permission to contest away from
home Is granted In few other Ia
stances Once permission was given
for the football team to play q game
away from home each season. in adj
3diiion to the game against the Army
team A game was actually played in
Philadelphia against the University Of
pennsylvania. but the war caused 81
withdrawal of the privilege
1 Now. ii is hoped that this privilege
may again be extended, and that by
the season OF 1920, an agreement be.
reached with two Of the big colleges
10 send their teams To- Annapolis and
play the afidshipmen on their own
grounds IN alternate years, This. II.
His believed, would be feasible. and
would solve the athletic problem for
the Midshipmen. A great many peo
pie fail to see that there is any essen
Atial reason Why AIidshiplnen should
mot play other teams at all away from
Annapolis. nor why they should ex
pect teams To come here and never
play return games themselves.
Everyone ii immensely proud OF the
crew, with It's victories over Penn
sslyania. Harvard and Princeton. and
believe 1t 10 be the best college aggre-
gallon OF the year There Il no let
down III the work, as Syracuse will.
row here on May 3, and the Navy
crews will enter the Henley regatta
lat Philadelphia on May 81. There is.
special satisfaction over the fact that.
l The Academy crews will have chance
Ito compete against big crews away
from their own course and that the
Midshipmen have the chance this year
Ito win without question the highest
Ihonors III major sport.
That there Is foundation for the be-
lief .of those who hold that the Acad-
emy will soon take leading place in
athletics, Is indicated BY the work Of
tits teams during the winter and spring
l The basketball. gymnastic, wrestling
and soccer teams finished the season
without losing game, The fencing
team lost only at the intercollegiate
tournament. where it took second
place The lacrosse team has defeated
Hopkins swarthmore and Penn State,
and is almost certain 10 finish the sea
son with d clean score. while the crew
has demonstrated its high quality
With student body Of ZOO physi-
cally perfect young men, splendid
spirit and an athletic system which
has reached high standard of or.
ganfSation and efficiency. there IS lit
tile doubt that the Naval Academy
must be considered among the big
athletic Institutions
PVT. PRATHER SENDS
CAPTUED GAS MASK