The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-13
SPIRIT or THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPICs-CoMPILED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EvBNINe TELEGRAPH.
THE OXFORD AND HARVARD RACE.

THE OXFORD AND HARVARD RACE.
From the ~ Y. Times.
A cable despatch has told us that the match
between the two champion amateur boat
clubs of England and America is really MADE;
and as IL so happens that these champion
amateurs represent two illustrl0us colleges,
the race itself will excite an interest far greater
than could any possible struggle OF proies-
si0nal oarsmen.
The Harvard challenge has three times been
sent within two years in different forms; ana
as Oxford was unwilling to make match In
volvino the two different styles OF rowing,
uoint after point was conceded, until now the
race has been arranged wholly on the Oxford
plan. Undoubtedly, at the start, no such race
was contemplated by our oarsmen. Harvard
has about 800 Undergraduates to choose
crew from, Oxford and Canb bridge each from
1000 to 2500, and the latter average two or
three years older. What the Harvard Club
originally proposed was to test their plan OF
steering without coxswains against the Oxford
plan of pulling with coxswains. They there
fore desired that each crew should pull the
race in its own way, and on its own system;
but at lost they yielded everything. 1t is
generally believed that, under the present
conditions, Harvard has almost no chance to
win, more especially as it's new crew have
never till now rowed together at all, while the
"0xford four" have pulled together in races
for years; but that our American college will
do itself credit, in spite Of all odds, is beyond
question; and in conquering it Oxford will
have no trivial task.
In any case, the sympathies of our country
men will 60 with Harvard and even the
many crews they have 80 often successfully
met In friendly rivalry, believing them to be
worthy representatives of American non
professional Craftsmanship, will send good
wishes with them. A single exception, how
ever, is the ITibune'S London correspondent
MI IN inv into
maturer life, and who oharacteristically tries
to oounteract the praise the London papers
have given to the Harvard proposal to row
their English cousins in their own waters and
on their own terms. "The victory of our
HdrUard friends" he writes, "should they
win 1t, will be considerably less splendid
than victory by crew of eight; but their
chance Of winning in four is beyond ques-
tion greater-a good eight is the elimination
of all the science and art there is in row.
Ing" And again:-"The victory aVould not be
accepted as decisive" for "the university
which has the best eight has necessarily the
best four. Harvard must, therefore, be pre-
pared to find the contest they propose con-
sidered as an incomplete trial of strength"
This desire to deny laurels not yet won, and
Aaurels contended for under such hopeless
odds, is sharply rebuked by our contempora-
ries. The Herald pertinently asks Uhy
s'good eight" is the 'culmination of rowing"
more than good "six." The American col
leges pull six oars, and yet Harvard consented
last year (having more practised crew than
the presently to row Oxford in an eight-osred
boat. The World adds that Oxford and Cam
bridge have 'four or five times as many un-
dergrsduates to choose their oarsmen from"
as Harvard. Even Bells Life thinks it rather
hard that Harvard, unused to such local diff
culties and obstructions, should have to row
the Putney course; but the Tribune correspon-
dent remarks that HHaryard ia clearly right
about that" However, this genial and gene
Fous writer need not worry-there is little
doubt that Harvard will be beaten in the un-
equal contest. However, if, with a crew
thought thus far to be less perfect than those
of two years preceding, Harvard makes a
good show against the first team of four that
Oxford ever turned out, on their waters and
on their terms, perhaps return visit another
year may give better fortune to the gallant
adYantnrars.