Evening star., 1942-10-23
Transportation
ILLS Back Move
To Cut Crowd
Service Clash First
Slated for Middies'
Field Since 1893
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, Oct. 23-The
Army-Navy football game, a victim
of its own popularity, has been
shunted from Philadelhia man.
moth stadium to the Naval Acad-
emy's 22,000-seat arena as war
economy measure by President
Roosevelt.
In a season during which other
gridiron contests have shown a
drastic falling off in attendance,
the battle of the two service elevens
was expected to draw its customary
100000 spectators and the President
last night ordered the transfer to
save tires and gasoline and to keep
the railroads open for more i'm
portant travel.
The White House statement which
accompanied the announcement
warned that tickets for the classic
be sold "only to residents of An
napolis-not outsiders" and hinted
that the game might be the last
meeting Of the two for the duration
of the war by saying that "the
game was scheduled before war
was declared and it's cancellation
at this late date undoubtedly would
cause great disappointment"
Annapolis. capital of Maryland
had population of slightly more
than 10000 in 1910 and is believed
near $4,000 now. Last year at Phil
adelphia 98,924 persons watched
Navy defeat the Army, IA to 6.
Ban on Tickets Here.
The White House statement
warned specifically against persons
living in Baltimore and Washington
obtaining pasteboards for the game
and said that only such members
Of the student body and officials
Of the United States Military
Academy as were needed for the
contest would be permitted to travel
to Annapolis.
Last year AZ special trains we're
needed to move the civilian spec
tators to Philadelphia and IA ad-
ditional trains brought the cadets
from the two competing institutions
The series was started in 1891 at
Annapolis with the second game
played at West Point the following
year. It returned to the Navy's
home field in 1893 for the last time
| until now with the Middies triumph
| ing, 6 to 4. before 10000 spectators
an increase of 1000 over the crowd
which witnessed the inaugural.
Since then, however. it has become
the Nations most glamorouS grid.
iron. spectacle with 10000 seeing
the 21-2l tie in Chicago In 1926 anc
102 900 watching the 1886 battle II
Philadelphia.
Switch Surprises West Point.
Despite rumors OF a probable
transfer of the game, the actua
switch apparently was a surprise Il
athletic officials at West Point.
1t. Col. Lawrence M. Jones, tn
West Point graduate manager, SAX
that until the close OF business yes
terday his staff was busy accepting
reservations for the game in tn
belief that it would be played il
Philadelphia.
There was no immediate indica
ton how many tickets had been sol
and how or when the money woul
be refunded.
Earlier this season both school
displayed ingenuity in bringin
their student bodies to games with
out overtaxing the already crowde
transportation facilities by use 9
river boat steamers.
The Army cadets were brought t
New York for the game with Colum
bia by Hudson River excursio
vessel while the Middies saw tn
Navy-Yale tussle in Baltimore afte
Chesapeake Bay boat ride. Us
Of the boats to move the Wes
Pointers to either Annapolis or Phi
adelphia, however, would enta
travelling on the open seas and tn
plan never was considered SeriouSl