The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1947-12-11

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m nuaxn CALLAHAN

drawing to a close, considerable is
said and written about the cessation
of the Armv-Notre Dame games. 1t
is surprising that so few people APP
parently know the real reasons why
this popular series of contests is end
ing During the wal | had occasion
to know and work with West Point
officials and l have also seen a num-
her of these games. The reason why
they are calling off the Army-Irish
contests is because the games got
out of hand; Coach Blaik of the
Army received many dirty notes
from subway alumnae" as they are
called here, persons who have little
or no connection with either institu-
ton but take sides in an undesirable
way; and the bigtime gamblers were
having a field day handling bets on
these games. The contest got beyond
events of a college nature into that
often-ouestionable field of the pro-
fessionals. So a halt was called.
s--+.ts
Hotel managers in New York and
elsewhere are keeping their fingers
crossed. They're glad they have too
much business-for they recall all
too we'll about Is years ago when
most hotels throughout the country
were ~insolvent, thousands of rooms
going begging. Now the hostelries
are full and making money. True,
rates have gone up. But strange to
say, the prices of rooms at the big
Hotel Pennsylvania here are Just the
same now as when the hotel first
opened in 1919, and those of the
Plaza are actually lower than when
that fashionable establishment open
ed its doors in 1907.
tst+s*s
The other evening in a midtown
restaurant, a group of graduates OF
an out-of-town college met for a
reunion. Most of these old grads had
not seen other in years. 1t was touch
ing to see them greet each other,
surprise at grey hair, embarrassment
at change in looks, in STOPPING Shout
ders, at bullying waistlines written
on many political faces. John hadn't
made that million he was supposed
to when he was voted the most likely
to succeed; Bill hadn't written that
novel which was expected from his
high marks in English literature; and
Susan, the popular girl on the cam
pus, hadn't even married. Yes, there
was sadness over the memorable pas
sing of time. But there was happin-
ess too. AS the evening wore IN,
thoughts of Alma Mater mellowed
the sharpness of reality, and once
all of them became in retro
spect eager students on a green,
campus.
...+...
1t is said that the most costyl piece
of nature on earth is this city's fam
ed Central Park. And yet those of
us who grew up in small towns and
in the country wonder why when we
look at its ordinary grassy plots, its
little hills and small ponds which
Gothamites are fond of calling
'lakes." Of course its $40 acres are
set right in the middle of Manhat-
tan-which has something to do
with the parks being appraised at
half a billion dollars in value. Every
year, about twtney million people
relax in this park, some of them
making love outlandishly in plain
view. But even though the popula-
ton if Nevada could be housed in
this several blocks of New York, it
is kept intact for the public use. a
marvellous parcel of land which still
is just about the way it was when we
got it from the Indians.
tt.t'"*
I guess the most-talked about
thing in this town lately is the recent
wedding of Princess Elizabeth of
England. 1t is simply amazing how
we socalled hardboiled Americans
and austere Englishmen who claim
to be so disillusioned with lots of
life are caught up with the wonder
full fancy of a royal wedding and
talk about its every detail as if it
were a Notwithstanding event. Here on
5th Avenue, they even have an ev-
hibit of the duplicates of the glass
gifts which President and Mrs. Tru-
and Ambassador and Mrs.
Douglas gave the Princess and her
husband-and are charging Is cents
admission to see them-when they
are not even the real things. Fortuna
tely, however, the proceeds the going
to CARE, that fine organization
which is sending much needed food
parcels to the hungry overseas. Come
to think of it, this wedding was a
Notwithstanding event, at a time when
our old world needed to be shaken
out of its dreary war-fearing despair.
There still is hope for us when we
can drop thoughts of Marshall
Plans of Communism and initiation
and fasten our thoughts and dreams
on the storied splendor of a royal
romance bursting into full flower
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