Evening star., 1942-07-21

edly general In
Henry McLemore. Just such q con-
dition who decided that Neyland
and Wade should be plucked from
the vital war work they were doing
and placed In charge of developing
an all-Army football team to play
the professional teams for the benef1t
Of the Army relief fund.
The development of an all-Army
team Is fine thing. just as is the
raising OF funds for the Army relief,
but why In the name of Martin j.
Jupiter did these two soldiers have
to be chosen to direct the enter
prise? AS important as Is the ALL
Army team, 1t isn't as important ss
the work these two men were de-
ing-Neyland as head engineer in
the Norfolk district and Wade be-
hind his artillery guns at Fort
Bragg. "',
olt
Neyland is West Point gradu-
ate, and the fact that he is AN
engineer is proof that he left the
Point we'll up In his class, because
the engineers come from the top
drawer of the men who leave the
school on the Hudson. Since he left
his job as head football coach at
Tennessee to rejoin the Army he
knows and loves, he has done q
tremendous job. and was still doing
it when called back into the smaller
game of blocks and tackles and
punts and passes. 4.
Does the Army have so many, OF
Neyland's learning and experience
that 1t can afford to take them
from active duty and put them back
into football? The answer Is no.
In addition to his knowledge, Ney-
land has what the Army needs In
the way of spirit and discipline. He
Is an all-out driver. a stickler for
perfection, and man who likes, to
work good "a hours out of the "a.
And, what about Wade? Here IS
a man with World War I experience.
man they say was doing such q
swell job in the artillery that he
was ready for promotion.
The ridiculous part about the
n vo}po ~ ithaca fro y,oan - AonSl>
the Army football team is that there
are scores of football coaches, not
In the service, who would have been
perfectly willing to take over the
Job. Fine coaches who would have
welcomed the opportunity to whip
together the football talent OF the
Army and direct 1t in relief games
against the professionals. True,
some Of them are not Of the caliber
Of Neyland and Wade, whose rec
ords at Tennessee and Duke entitle
them to rank with the best coaches
Of all time, but plenty good enough
at time when Neyland and Wade
were working at a much bigger
game. 81
All the Army needed to do was TO
call on any Of these civilian coaches,
give them commissions carrying
enough pay to allow them to keep
going. and turn over the football
problem to them. 1t has been said
that the reason this wasn't done Is
that the Army frowns on handing
out commissions to civilians, and
wanted to use its own officers TYfis
makes little sense, If true. Conn
missions have been handed out like
cigars at a political rally, so why
discriminate now against coaches
capable Of doing a good job during
the football season. and who would
make valuable athletic directors
during the other months Of the
year? 5af
444A &c
II 1t isn't too late, Col. NeylaYid
should be sent back to Norfolk. to
carry on the big job he was handling
there. and Maj. Wade should be
given a return trip to Bragg and
his guns. AS important as service
football is, there is no proof In htse
tory that beautifully executed ios-
ward pass play ever won a battlA
II it's a breakdown In the air,
conditioning system that prompted
the removal of Neyland and Wade,
why let's all chip in and have the
thing fixed. Well even voluntSef
to go down to Washington and fSn
the brass hats with a palm leaf fan.
Distributed BY McNausht Syndicate. Ine,,s