Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-03-11

i Wnen navy Met Army.
Before the Army and the Navy
met recently in their annual bas-
Iketball game, some of the distin-
guished Washington observers who
find easy cause for alarm suggested
lit might be we'll to have ready for
/ the emergency a couple of compan-
les of military police and three or
four marines.
The argument over the eligibility
rules at the military academy,
which caused football relations be-
tween West Point and Annapolis
to be severed. applies also to bas-
tketball and baseball, and it seemed
las if the 1928 game would be, the
last between the service. schools.
1t was also the, rubber game of
the series and it was feared that
the boys might get heated up too
much in their desire to knock off
the basketball relations with vic
tory and rough it up
The Navy, however, gave the
Army a good trimming and the
Army took lit like good soldiers.
There were some personal fouls
committed. of course, but there
was no more feeling shown be-
tween the players than in the aver
age college game.
/ There is no hard feeling be-
tween the athletic officers at West
Point and Annapolis and the cadets
and midshipmen do not seem to be
reused to the war pitch by the foot
ball controversy. M
In fact, one of the responsible
members of the athletic staff at
West Point recently told friend
in confidence that it was all a lot
of noise.
1--WE could have gotten together
and probably would have arranged
some kind of a compromise agree
ment if the politicians had kept
their noses out of it," he said.
If you have had any experience
in the army or navy" he said.
you will know how kindly gen
teral or an admiral takes to the in
reference of a congressman
THE football controversy was
not public or political dispute.
1t was a private discussion and
probably would have been handled
satisfactorily as, such until some
congressman started yelling: You
play that game, or I'll tell the pres
ident about it. There wasn't any
chance for a 1928 game after that
interference in Washington
1t is almost certain that within
another year the points of differ
ence between the Army and the
Navy will be adjusted satisfactorily.
When the public forgets about the
controversy and allows the heads of
the two academies to handle it as a
private affair, it will be handled.
Within the year there will be
new superintendent at West
Point and Annapolis and it is a
good bet that announcement will
be forthcoming tha9 football,
basketball and baseball relations
will be resumed next year.
Protecting a Title.
Trading on a reputation as the
uncrowned champion and the man
the titleholder is afraid to meet is
sometimes more profitable than
holding a boxing crown.
Harry Wills traded for years and
made fortune by holding himself
up as a martyr to his color. He
was advertised as the fighter that
Dempsey feared and when the time
came for him to show his class
against a real fighter he was mis-
erably beaten But he had made a
fortune in the meantime.
Wills, it will be recalled, got
$4,000 advance money from a syn
ldicate for signing articles to meet
Dempsey. The fight, of course,
never was staged and Wills kept
the money. 1t was the easiest $780,
600 fighter ever earned
1t was singular that the syndi-
cate didn't raise more of yeIp,
about the lost so grand. In fact,
it was so suspicious that Dempsey
and Tex Rickard were accused of
putting up the $4,000 as coup
to keep Wills quiet Regardless of !
the donors, Wills got the money.
Sid Terris, the little New York
made more money out |
of his parade as the uncrowned