The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-11-15
BY JOE WILLIAMS

New York, Nov. 15.-If you fol- low the football dope, you'd know all about fellows like Nick Drahos, Cor nell's great tackle, Norman Stand lee, Stanford's prize fullback; Jack Kimbrough, Texas A. and Ms de- Structive line smasher and Marshall Shires, Tennessee'S Standout line man.
 Though these fellows are superla- tive in football, all members of un- defeated teams, we picked them out at random. There are scores of others just like them, big, strong, rangy fellows with agility and fire. They come close to being perfect physical types.
 With war clouds gathering it's comforting to know that America breeds this type in numbers. But just a minute. How'd you like to know that not one of these fellows we've named, and hundreds of others we haven't, could get past the outer gatae at the United States military academy? How'd you like to know, further, that Uncle Sam has what practically amounts to a law against them?
 Don't try to tell us we don't know what we're talking about because we've just finished investing at the source, meaning West Point and Washington. We set out on a foot ball probe. We hoped to find out what is happenig to Army foot ball. We came across facts that made us forget all about football
 Now hold your hats. The War Department regulations, following a recent revision, bars from the military academy any young man who weighs more than POS pounds, or stands better than feet, 4 inches in height. In effect, it imposes a penalty on physical development.
 To cut back to our opening para graph for second; Cornell's Drahos weighs PIP; Stanford's Standlee weighs 2l6, Texas A. and Ms Kim brough weighs 220 and Tennessee's s Shires weighs PIP. If they were eligible in all other respects and wanted to be officers, via West Point Uncle Sam, by his own rules, would have to tell them to "Scram".
 Presumably the war department acts on the advice of the medical department, sub branch. In map ping out the type of men best suited to lead in battle, the dear old medi- cos (don't ask up how they do i0 have arranged fixed scale of inches and pounds. It goes like this If an applicant tips the beam at
 POS pounds. he must be at the height limit. which, to repeat, is 6 feet 4. If he stands feet 3. he
 may not weigh more than POP. Ii
 his height is 6 feet 2. he must not
 scale peter than 198. If he's just
 six feet and weighs more than 18t
 he simply isn't wanted.
 Possible Out"
 There is a vague loop hole. Tht regulations read. Recommendation for waiver of excess weight will b. made only in exceptional cases.
 What constitutes an exceptoina case is not defined.
 ' As you'll note these regulation D are rather intricate and we hope t God we've got 'em down right. Any way, here's more of the same ant it stresses still another curb on en
 trance of the proper officer ma . terial at West Point.
 An applicant may weigh the maxi mum of 208 pounds only if he's a
 the age limit of 9 years. (That' as old as you can be to enter thu academy. If he's q the limit is POI pounds. At age 20, it is 205; at 19 POS; at 18, 200 For all ages nc youngster who stands under feet , may be admitted.
 In order to present the full pic
 ture fully we should mention ther, are exceptions to these fixed weights and ages. The dear old medico have decided and the war depart. . ment has concurred, that they shal , not opply to our little brown cousins , the Filipinos. In pinch, of course this would solve everything.
 Sitting here in the office on ou Fat Francis, It is easy to be critical