Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
FUTURE OF ROWING
Local Boat Clubs to Discuss Various
Plans.
CAPTAIN DOYLE FAVORS A NAVY
Thinks the Winners of Junior Fights
Should Choose the Commodore.
CAPTAIN FISHER OPPOSED

A recent Statements regarding Potomac
navy by Mr.. Alexander Grant, president
of the Columbia Athletic Club. has aroused
not a little discussion among the members
OF the Analostan and the Potomac boat
clubs, The consensus of opinion seems not
exactly the same as Mr.. Grants views.
Capt. John Hadley Doyle of the Potomacs
said, when asked by Star reporter for
his views: THE necessity of such an or
ganization is apparent, in my opinion, to
the ordinary observer, and to the club men
themselves 1t is getting too monotonous to
bear the heavy expenses of sending crews
to the various outside regattas and then
having them come home with hardly ever
first prize. Rivalry is the life of every
thing and particularly athletic sports
With such an organization having charge
Of events on the water front there would
be decided increase in the number of
entries and In the amount Of training un-
dertaken."
How about Mr. Grants plan for
series of fortnightly races?"
Well that might be a good thing In
some respects, and then it might not 1t
certainly would entail a good deal of ex-
pense on US, and it would be tantamount to
the organization of a navy. committee
would have to be appointed to take charge
OF the arrangements and assume direc-
ton, and why such committee could not
be made permanent is what I don't see.
Anyhow. we will be glad to lesrn some
thing further of Mr.. Grants plan, and to
That end We have appointed a conference
committee. consisting of Messrs. u. S.
Roulette, J. ]. Nolan and myself.
Mr.. Doyle's Proportion.
THE thing We want is a navy, and you
may rest assured that move will be made
In that direction shortly. When the re-
gatta committee meets to wind up last
years affairs I intend to propose the fol-
lowing plan: AS has been stated before,
the principal trouble would be about the
selection of commodore, and thai,
think, can be easily avoided. For this
year, say, let the commodore be chosen by
the joint committee, and after that the
office could be filled by the club winning
a designated race; for example the Junior
eight -oared shell. That is always we'll
contested and every club has such a crew.
BY this means rivalry, always desirable
when not carried to excess, would be slim
ulated and the position of commodore filled
by means strictly impartial Another adj
vantage'gained by this plan would be that
prize worthy OF the greatest emulation
would be provided for and a considerable
item OF expense eliminated. I don't think
the idea of having a prominent unattached
business man to fill the office is a good one
1t is manifestly unfair. The men that
support the sport by their membership
dues and contributions should have what
ever honor there is to be gained. An ex-
ecutive appointed in this way would be in
a strictly impartial manner. and all We
would then need Is a constitution, short
and sharp, but to the point"
Position of the AnaIostans.
Another gentleman greatly interested in
the subject is Capt Louis A. Fischer of
the Analostan Boat Club Here is what he
said to Star reporter yesterday after.
noon:
Contrary to the general impression, the
Anaiostan Boat Club is not In favor of a
navy or any permanent inter-club organiza-
only afford opportunity for contention, The
regatta committees, as now appointed by
the different clubs, have all the necessary
powers to make arrangements for and give
regattas and the only improvement have
to suggest Is that each club have a stand.
ing committee for this purpose, to be ap-
pointed at the beginning of each year. The
chairman Of the committee really takes the
place that would be occupied by the COM
modore If We had ravy: but as the title
is not so high-soundng there is very little
trouble in getting the clubs to agree on q
man,-whereas the rock on which the navy
scheme usually splits fs-which club is 90
ing to have the commodore?
There is good reason why there should
be a navy in Philadelphia, and unless
am mistaken the same reason for 1t exists
in Boston; the city council appropriates q
large sum of money for a Fourth of July
regatta, which is held under the auspices
VI Inc SCuuylklll navy. IN TINS case 1t
would be impossible for each club to have
representatives in the management as
there are about fifteen of them, and hence
q few men representing all the clubs must
act.
THE plan suggested by Mr.. Grant of the
Columbia Club is also open to serious OBJ
lection. One of the main difficulties en-
countered by the clubs Is getting men to
train for one or two races during the sea-
son, while mis- plan, as I understand it. con-
templates races every two weeks. Expert
ence has shown that the greatest interest
Is manifested In events which occur once q
year, and as the interest taken by the row.
ing men depends almost entirely upon the
interest excited by the races, 1t is not
good policy to separate them. 1t would
not be possible to get the enormous crowd
Yale race more than once a year, and al
most any oarsman would prefer to row one
such race, rather than row a great many
with comparatively small number of
spectators at each one. Furthermore row.
ing requires more preparation than any
sport that / am acquainted with and 1t 10
the preparation and not the race that bene-
fits the man. In short, the plan suggested
by Mr.. Grant increases the amount OF
work very much, which is already one OF
the objections to the exercise, and by hav.
ing the races often, interest, instead of
being excited, is killed. There may, how
ever, be something SO overwhelmingly in
favor Of either of the schemes which has
not occurred to me, and for this reason our
similar committees from the other clubs
to consider Mr.. Grants proposition"
The Tricycle. Adj. Writer.
Froam the st. Louis Post Dispatch.
A novel scheme for ADVERTISING "a accoy,.