Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-27

The Importance of the approaching
Army and Navy game is being recog-
nized by editorial comment seldom
earned in advance by a foot ball contest
Tn. fact that the receipts will 60 to the
unemployed is noted with approval and
throughout there is evidence Of nation
wide satisfaction over the prospect of a
permanent resumption Of athletic rela-
tons between West Point and Annap-
oils. which December 1873 game seems
to foreshadow.
The unemployment situation has
done what cabinet officers, members of
Congress and athletic authorities at
West Point and Annapolis have been
unable to accomplish--it has brought
the Army and Navy together on the
gridiron," says the Roanoke Times,
which is gratif1ed that, although diff
ferences over the question of eligibility
have prevented game between the
Army and Navy for the past two years,
both SIDES have agreed to waive the
question in view of the seriousness of
the unemployment situation, and play
post-seaSon game for charity" The
Providence Evening Bulletin voices its
feelings in the words: And all the
kings horses and all the kings men
haven't been able to do what charity
has done. 1t is a fine concession on the
part of both academies. They gain
everything by 1t. lose nothing, and at
the very time they are so honorably
keeping up their proud defiance each
has a glorious opportunity to take
coveted crack at his dearest enemy.
What battle those boys will stage I'M
der this truce!"
AS the Cleveland News puts it, "Eligi-
bility rules will be forgotten for the
moment, as will all other differences OF
opinion except the respective beliefs
that each can play better foot ball than
the other" The Duluth Herald. quot
ing the language Of the "ballyhooers of
the prize ring" says. " It's fight for
blood and, whoever wins, the spectators
are certain Of seeing snappy game"
But it will be a keen disappointment
to many If the game does not heal the
present breach between the cadets and
midshipmen as to regular foot ball con-
tests. AS the Buffalo Evening News
saws: with a game assured between the
foot ball teams next month, the officials
OF the two academies should get to-
gether as soon as may be and iron out
their differences. Good sportsmen all,
they ought TO display an accommodating
spirit and come to an agreement that
will be enduring" And the Chicago
Daily News thinks that there should be
in the two great branches of national
defense sufficient diplomacy and enough
of the spirit OF compromise to compose
those differences and restore to its for
mer status the annual gridiron contest
always so highly valued by the Ameri-
can public" The Newark Evening
News, too, urges resumption of rela-
tons. saving. May the game OF De-
cember 3 prove the opening wedge in
full resumption of foot ball relations by
the Army and NsVy!"
Many papers. among them the Biz
minRham News. wax enthusiastic over
the game that was before the severance
Of relations. This paper says: The
Army Navy game was one of the coun-
trys creates foot ball classics. In some
respects it was the greatest classic. No
other annual game approached 1t as a
spectacle, and none exceeded 1t In gem
eral interest. The classic was more than
foot ball game between two perennially
outstanding teams" the News continues.
1T was a colorful spectacle. with Its
traditions and its tense rivalry, the uni
formed West Point cadets and the An
napolis midshipmen. and the large
crowd which always included more Off,
Gals and celebrities than attended any
other sports event Of the year all giving
II a distinctive atmosphere. As the
Memphis Commercial Appeal describes
it, the game vas an annual event OF
national interest"
X
That the action of the academies will
inspire other teams to stage post season /
games for the same purpose is the hope /
expressed in some quarters. Says the
Pittsburgh Post Gazette: 1t may be |
inconvenient; it may be contrary to
precedent: it may involve a lot of
trouble and worry; 1t may be hard TO
find just the teams that have assured
drawing power to the point that would
make the ticket sale as heavy as de-
sired The first three objections at
least appliej with equal or greater force
to the Army-Navy encounter" contends
the Post Gazette. but they were not
allowed to block IT,. The last point also
should not prove insuperable." IT, con-
cludes. Referring 10 the fact that In |
some instances foot ball teams are now
Iorea limo tra lining the Snrinpfieid Mas {