As The Climax Approaches

At Soldiers Field the other day, when some of the amateur "bookies" were taking bets on the New Hampshire game, one betting financier refused to give better than 5-4 odds on the Wildcats' chances of winning. What a change in football history that is! Shades of those days when Brown was the pre-Yale setup and the whole "A" team left Cambridge to watch the Yale-Princeton encounter, confident that back in Cantabrigia the subs would be able to run the Bruins off the field!

As a matter of fact, that "bookie" was over pessimistic. New Hampshire is a fine, smooth-working unit that did unexpectedly well against Dartmouth a week ago, but the Crimson on paper at least, has every reason for coming out on top in tomorrow's fray. But the significance of that bet remains: Harvard football is "on the skids" as far as the spectator is concerned, and the only thing that can stop it from sliding into a season of shame is a victory over Eli Yale. Thus it is that Eddie Casey is already concentrating all his efforts and those of his staff on the approach of the annual classic, and threatening New Hampshire has been brushed aside as unworthy of much consideration when such a crisis in Blue will roll into town only a week behind it.

Rounding Out

Everything, down at Soldiers Field, is being pointed toward building up a well rounded squad that will be strong in all departments. Hitherto there has been a feeble push where the offense should have been and a hole-filled wall where the defense should have held the fort. The defense has certainly proved the stronger of the two in the games so far, but plenty of criticism could be applied to the number of Dartmouth, Princeton, and Army men who have been getting into the Crimson backfield at the snap of the ball.

So even in the line Casey and Walsh are considering making changes. The tackles, especially, are being overhauled and may be changed before the outbreak of hostilities in the Yale Bowl. Bob Watson at right tackle and Ed Simmons at left are two second string men who have been coming very fast during the last few weeks and may succeed in pushing out the experienced pair of Bill Burton and Mike Adlis. Then, at left guard, Frank Schumann is threatening the berth hitherto filled alternately by Bob Brookings and Bill Lane. All three of these up-and-coming substitutes have a very good chance of starting the Yale game.

In the backfield the same thing is happening as such veterans as Chet Litman and Fergie Locke are being pushed into the background by Johnny Adzigian, Braman Gibbs, and a host of Sophomores. Elley Jackson, Freddy Moseley, and Bob Haley are three old-timers who are sure of jobs if no injuries intervene between now and November 24, but Moseley will probably not be used for the full 60 minutes even if his physical condition warrants it, and that, with the now unoccupied right half back position, leaves two places to be filled for a time at least by such promising material as Billy Parquette, Adzigian, and Gibbs. On such will a large share of the Yale game probably rest. By TIMEOUT.