Evening star., 1939-08-21
Eagles Expect Davy OBen Pass Run Them Football Characteristic
From the
Press Box
Turkey Day Date Shift
Makes Big Ten Wall
BY JOHN LARDNER,

Makes Big Ten Wall
BY JOHN LARDNER,
Special Correspondent Of The Star.
NEW YORK, Aug. 81 N.A.N.A)-
Suspecting a political plot in the
Presidents move to change the date
OF Thanksgiving Day to the penulti-
mate Thursday of the month of
November, many State Governors,
understand, are going to stay in the
old groove and give thanks on the
ultimate Thursday, willy-nilly.
In other words, there will be a
split along party lines, the Repub-
1ican Thanksgiving Day coming on
November 80 and the Democratic
Thanksgiving Day on November %.
Conservative Democrats and liberal
Republicans will compromise by
gnawing their turkey on some safe,
middle e-of-the-road day like Mon
day, while radicals and agitators will
carve on December l, to show that
Naturally, get lot of mail in
this connection, being, you might
say, close to the Presidents ear.
I was within stones throw of the
Presidents ear only last week, driv-
ing down the main road of Hyde
Park on the way back from Sara
toga. The story has got around,
and here I am, for instance, in
receipt of letter from Mrs. Millie
Elkins, who wants to have the
Fourth of July changed to the 9Th
OF July.
July 6 Would Be Softer
Than July 4, Is Claim
"Ill tell you why I prefer the
9Th of July to the Fourth of July
and I will make no bones about
It," writes Mrs. Elkins. The Fourth
OF July amt safe. There are too
many flrecrackerS, too much traffic,
too many deaths. Besides, all the
stores are closed on the Fourth of
July, which makes it id incon-
venient if I want to buy a bottle
OF ratbane.
I'm all my experience" goes on
Mrs. Elkins, Il have never had no
trouble on the 9Th of July. It's
fine day, it comes every year and
/ like 1t. If we go on celebrating
the Fourth of July we will just de-
liver ourselves into the hands of
Russia"
Mrs. Elkins' point is little OBJ
scure as concerns Russia, but you
cannot help admiring her spunk.
Then there is communication
from Arthur Swift, who believes
that if Tuesday and Wednesday are
reversed nobody will notice the diff
ference.
Il would suggest doing this grad
ually, couple of weeks a month";"
writes Mr.. Swift, in fair, free hand.
Most people admit that Wednesday
Is overrated, but whether it will be
any better, coming before Tuesday,
would not like to say for sure.
Swift, With Monty Condor,
Admits He's Broke
MY only stipulation in this mat
ter is that the new plan be called
the Rebecca Swift plan, in honor
Of my mother, to whom I owe more
than I can say"
Mr.. Swift adds in a postscript that
the exact amount he owes his mother
is S3175, but he says she will have
to wait for it.
Il am broke" confesses Swift,
with manly candor.
These suggestions will be passed
along to the President without de-
lay. think can promise that he
will give them his fullest attention,
though the Swift plan is perhaps
little too bold for this generation.
What has the matter of dates got
to do with sports? Well, for one
thing, the Presidents sudden lunge
at Thanksgiving Day has caught the
football people unaware, which is
their usual condition at this time of
year A bleat of pain arises from
the Big Ten, where they have a rule
prohibiting the member colleges
from playing football after Thanks
giving Day.
If Thanksgiving Day falls on No
vember 23, Minnesota and Wiscon-
sin, for instance, will be caught in
open sin in their scheduled contest
of November 25.
Most Prefer $40 Fine
To Hanging
The penalty for playing after
hours in the Western Conference is
hanging or a $40 fine, and, while
many schools prefer to pay the fine,
not all of them have money to burn.
What will happen, think, is that
the Big Ten will give small amount
OF thanks on the 23d, to conciliate
the President and do its important
thanking on the 3Oth. This will
legalize the games on the 25th and
lay the conference open to charge
of "straddlebugism, which will be
painful but not fatal.
In the East, many traditional
Thanksgiving Day games will be torn
by political conflict. Take the Cor
nell-Pennsylvania contest. Cornell,
coming from a Democratic State,
Is duty-bound to observe the holi-
day on the 23d, while the wilful
Republicans Of Pennsylvania will no
doubt raise their annual hob on the
S0th.
This seems to call for split date,
Cornell going through the motions
on the 23d and Penn running
through dummy drill a week later.
I'm afraid this will cut down at
tendance, though the score Is sure
70 be high.