The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-28
GAY SCENE AS
$4,000 CROWD
POLO GROUNDS
Brilliant Setting for Navy
Victory Over Army.
Eleven.
GEN. NIVELLE THERE
Gen. Pershing Also Attends
Veritable Congress of
Personages.
BY DANIEL.


the very moment it opened under
battleship gray skies in the early af-
ternoory until it closed amid the gath
ering shadows which came so fast
in the lee of Coogan's Bluff, the
twenty-third football battle between
the Army and the Navy was a strug-
gle which at times even outdid ira
dition in aggressiveness and the de-
termination to win.
It was a smashing, gruelling con-
test which tried the soul of every
combatant and tested the flesh Of even
the most powerful of the service stall
warts. And at the end the eleven
from the Naval Academy was prouder
and more triumphant than ever in its
possession of victory, by score of
to 0. 1t was triply triumphant be-
cause for the first time since 1916
1t had scored a touchdown against the
West Pointers--because it had won
for the second year in succession
because it had evened matters with
the Army in gridiron series which
dates back to 1890. The Navy and
the Army each have won elevSn games
and one resulted in a tie.
Not until the fourth period did the
Navy put over its touchdown. Not
until the brilliant scene. which took
in more than $4,000 spectators. began
to melt into the twilight, while the
Army line was staggering from the
impact of the relentless, insstent and
furious assault which the Navy had
Ben Koehler able to cross the cadets
final chalk mark. Then Clyde King
he whose two field goals had won for
the Navy in 1919-kicked goal and a
went up for the Navy to taunt a
large and symmetrical 0 on the Army
side of the battle ledger.
Army Worn Down.
That Navy touchdown was the Gull
minating mark of march Of forty-six
yards. Early in the third period the
Army had weakened itself in q short
advance of something like twenty-three
yards. 1t was stopped, and then the
Navy began its ripping attack For
time the Army fought back with success.
but as the quarter closed the Navy was
only twenty-three yards from a touch
Own and coming along with vigor that
would not be denied Two punches in
the fourth quarter made sixteen yards.
Frza-- Y Il sVH
left end and the Army was beaten!
Again the Navy went at its task Of
smashing the Army line, and again II
met with success This Cadet eleven
which had fought with even better effect
than It's rival in the drst half found
that IL could not stand up against the
wearing attack of heavier opponents.
Once, twice the Army snhrled in the
fierceness of it's determination TO stop
this Navy advance. and once or twice
it did check II. But only for the nonce.
On and on the Navy went smashing
until it had covered sixty-six yards in
its juggernaut march and was only thir-
teen yards from another touchdown.
Then It was that Fate, in the form OF
low pass. interfered. and rightfully
too. The ball was fumbled and the
Army recovered 1t. The Navy was
stopped at last. Tired Cadets began
weary and all too futile attempt to ad-
vance with the leather, but they had TO
yield. Again the Navy, az hungry for
touchdown as IL II had not scored a
point. started another assault. And
when the final whistle blew the Navy
was still as savage as ever. with the
ball on the Army's 40 yard line.
Army's Remarkable Fight.
The Army was beaten. but there was
glory aplenty even in defeat for this
fighting aggregation from the Point.
II was outscored but the Midshipmen
could boast of no greater valor. no more
commendable grit. no more splendid
spirit than were hurled into the conflict
by the soldiers
In the first half the Army kept tho
ball almost entirely In the Nays ter
ritory. The Midshipmen, who had been
expected to start on their way just as
soon as they got the ball, we're stopped.
and the Cadets seemed to have some
thing which might beat their rivals.
Man for man they fought az only the
service elevens will fight and in the
long run the greater weight of the Navy
tipped the balance OF victory In their
favor.
Thrice in the first half Walter French.
star of the Cadets. failed I'm attempts to
kick goals from placement. AZ the sec
ond period was drawing to a close the
Army forsook the Kicking game and
determined to drive home a touchdown.
It got to the 20 yard mark There the
Navy rallied its forces and took the
ball on downs. Thus did the Army
sing its swan song. The second half
was all Navy.
As a football game 1t 10 true that the
event left several technical things TO be
desired. The men seemed TO fight too
hard to play their best football, for to
win the annual service battle means
more to the Army and the Navy than
docs victory TO either college IN the
Harvard Yale clash.
Congress of PcrsonRges.
But as a spectacle It outdid even the
most brilliant OF previous Army-Navy
games IL was n congress OF person
ages-of men OF achievement in every
walk of life--of some of the most noted
figures inDAmerica and across the seas.
Gen. Pershing was there. and by his
side Gen Nivelle, that brilliant French
soldier whose stand at Verdun is writ
into history In luminous letters which
never will grow dim. There was Gen
March and half hundred other great
Continued on secord recs.