422 



RECREATION 



be fairly won in open competition and Yale's 

 position is therefore anomalous. 



But we do believe this represents the best 

 Yale opinion. The New Haven men are 

 thorough sportsmen and more or less justi- 

 fied in wishing the time-honored race at New 

 London maintained inviolate. The greatest 

 good we hope from the new arrangement is 

 therefore that it may bring Eli to see the wis- 

 dom of joining the general collegiate regatta 

 at Poughkeepsie, while continuing the dual 

 race with Harvard, introducing a condition 

 similar to that obtaining in track athletics 

 where the dual meet in no way interferes 

 with, or is lessened in importance by, the 

 general intercollegiate championships. This 

 is a consummation devoutly to be wished, 

 though unlikely for some time. 



What is not an improbable effect is the 

 arrangement of a race between the Colum- 

 bia 'Varsity and Yale. This would serve the 

 political purpose of somewhat offsetting the 

 Harvard-Cornell meeting and would seem, 

 therefore, to appeal to New Haven peculiarly. 

 At the same time it would be of decided bene- 

 fit to both the participants. Here is hoping 

 it may be arranged next year. 



Yale already has a race prior to the Har- 

 vard contest with the Naval Cadets. While 

 the Yale crew is "not called a 'Varsity crew 

 that is really what it is. Annapolis also meets 

 Pennsylvania, Georgetown and Columbia. 

 What if Yale should be badly beaten in this 

 race, while the Middies lost to all three of 

 their other rivals ! Wouldn't that seriously 

 reflect on Harvard's caliber if the Crimson 

 were later defeated by the Blue? Bosh; on 

 the face of it. So let's hear no more of it. 



THE AMERICAN HENLEY. 



The reason for the arrangement of a 'Var- 

 sity race between Harvard and Cornell at 

 this time, was a desire to forward the Ameri- 

 can Henley project at Philadelphia on the 

 same date. If any undertaking deserves. 

 success this certainly does. That complete 

 success has not previously attended it has 

 been largely due to the apathy of the colleges. 

 An effort was made after last year's event to 

 obtain the unanimous support of college 

 oarsmen this year and as a result of this 

 effort both Cornell and Harvard agreed to 

 help. / 



In consequence the crews from both col- 

 leges will be sent down to Philadelphia to 

 race in the Intercollegiate contest. Yale is 

 also expected to send a crew. The entry 

 of Pennsylvania and Columbia is assured, 

 and there is a possibility that Syracuse and 

 Georgetown will be represented. This leaves 

 out only Annapolis- and Wisconsin of the 

 rowing institutions. Of course the Middies 

 are out of the question, since Government 

 regulation forbids them leaving Annapolis 

 for such contests while it is too much to ex- 

 pect that the Badgers shall send three crews 



to Poughkeepsie, a distance of 1,500 miles, in 

 June and send a second crew to Philadelphia 

 a similar distance a month before. Even 

 without these two the race assumes a na- 

 tional importance. 



This importance is enhanced by the elimi- 

 nation of the name "second crews." A con- 

 tinuance of such a designation would un- 

 doubtedly affect the race. The regulations 

 adopted for the contest disposes of the diffi- 

 culty satisfactorily. No oarsman is eligible 

 to row in any eight who has previously repre- 

 sented his college in a 'Varsity event at either 

 Poughkeepsie or New London. This makes 

 the eighth junior crews and yet maintains 

 the 'Varsity caliber. It also serves the use- 

 ful purpose of stimulating rowing activity 

 by bringing out new material that has no 

 chance of regular positions and lining it 

 up for future 'Varsity timber. 



harvard's crew coaching. 



Reference was made above to the inferior 

 quality of Harvard crews to the Poughkeep- 

 sie eights as a class. That statement merits 

 explanation. It is a well known fact that for 

 years Harvard has been consistently beaten 

 by Yale and beaten badly. Her aquatics have 

 been in a chaotic state in which success 

 has appeared impossible. First her difficulty 

 appeared to be the existence of an evil similar 

 in general outline to the bureaucracy of Rus- 

 sia. She was dominated by a social element 

 as fatal to success. This difficulty eradicated, 

 her coaching system became the object of at- 

 tack. 



The graduate idea was substantially vio- 

 lated by the introduction of Fred Colson as 

 coach. But Colson had not the power neces- 

 sary to success, for in rowing, above all other 

 sports, a coach must be absolute. From this 

 start the introduction of Wray was an easy 

 step and while Wray may or may not be the 

 man for the place the effect of putting him 

 in supreme charge cannot but be beneficial. 

 A big improvement in Harvard rowing is 

 sure to follow and when the proper man is 

 found, if he is not already at hand, the 

 Crimson is sure to win her share of victories. 



Harvard's difficulty has long been, as Pres- 

 ident Eliot aptly styled it,* "The unintelligent 

 . intelligence of her management." This was 

 demonstrated must forcibly in her persistent 

 aversion to a professional in charge of her 

 teams. Success in this day can only be at- 

 tained when instruction of the best character 

 is secured. This means lifel.ng study such 

 as Mike Murphy has given athletics. Such 

 devotion to the cause deserves recompense 

 and there is no reason why a man who gives 

 his time to technical sport should rank low- 

 er than the man who, as physical director, 

 looks after the development of the students' 

 work in the gymnasium. And no one would 

 think of regarding Dr. Sargeant, for instance, 

 condescendingly. 



