The Washington times., 1895-06-06
Yale-HarVard Boys Challenged
by English Athletes.
SEPTEMBER TO BE THE DATE
Oxford and Cambridge Decline the
Offer of the University OF PennsyI-
Though, and Take the Initiative
Themselves-A Team of "a.


weeks the Oxford Athletic Association has
been occupied with an extensive CORE
spondence with the Athletic Association OF
the University of Pennsylvania. Represen-
tatiyes of the University OF Pennsylvania
have requested that the winners of the
American Intercollegiate games inthe month
of May should be allowed to come to England
to compete with the team selected from the
athletes OF Oxford and Cambridge uni
versities.
The proposed contest, il was represented
by the University OF Pennsylvania men,
could easily take place after the Oxford
Cambridge events, fixed for June Z, had
beendecided. A Acommitteefrom the Oxford
and Cambridge University athletic clubs
carefully considered the proposal OF the Uni
versity OF Pennsylvania students at two con-
ferences held during the last fortnight.
Yesterday the committee cabled officials
of the University of Pennsylvania Athletic
Association: Unable 10 accept the ehaI-
lenge." The Oxford-Cambridge committee
makes the following statement the various
reasons which influenced this decision:
WHY THEY DECLINED.
First-The Oxford-Canlbridge Athletic
Associations would be overweighted from
the outset in competing with team which,
it is understood. includes representatives
of all of the American universities. To
make such a contest equal the challenge
OF the Americans should be SO worded as
to allow athletes from all the universities
of Great Britain To take part. Repre-
sentatives from Oxford Cambridge, Edin-
buTgh and Dublin, for instance, should be
allowed to participate TO make the event
fair for all concerned.
Secondly-The Oxford d-Canbridge COM
mittee felt that the first right OF chal-
leDge ought To be conceded TO Yale. in con-
sideration OF the fact OF Yale having sent
a team to England in 1891
1t has been an open secret ever since 1894
that aut thoTities and students OF Oxford
and Cambridge Were of the opinion that a
match should be arranged for 1896 between
Oxford and Cambridge and Yale and Har-
ward. but because OF the fact that Yale
and Harvard have remained members of
the Intercollegiate Association, Yale and
Harvard have not cared to send an independ-
ent challenge and thereby antagonize any
arrangement that the Intercollegiate As
sociatioD, under the guidance of the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania athletes, might for
mulate
At the recent conference of the Oxford
Cam bridge committee the matter was
so far as Yale and Harvard were con-
cerued. OF the Yale men who competed
here in England i'm 1894, one of the
members of the committee said:
ENGLIsHMEN ACT.
''They are the incest fellows in the world
and true sportsmen. Therefore we would
be glad to help them out and we had decided
to send challenge ourselves We to-
day cabled them a challenge, and we have
also mailed to them formal challenge.
We, that is, Oxford and Cambridge would
be glad to take a team to America next
September to compete with Yale and
Harvard, and the decision whether this
match shall take place rests with them
alone.
1--WE understand that the Yale and
Harvard both would have preferred to
have this meeting next July, but unfOrtu-
nately we cannot arrange for this. There
fore it only remains to be seen whether
Yale and Harvard, with their sportsman
like desire to bring about contest of this
character, will be willing to arrange for
meeting in America next September.
There need not be the slightest appre-
hension that if the match is arranged 1t
will interfere with the match between
the London Athletic Club and the New
York Athletic Club. Some of the members
of the Oxford Cambridge Athletic Asso-
cation are also HleIhOeIS OF tne LOnuOu
Ath letic Club. They can take part in
both contests. Our team, if the chal-
lenge is accepted, Will not be selected until
after the Oxford Cambridge events in
July.
In case the challenge is accepted the
Oxford Cambridge team Will probably
include Fry for the hundred dash and the
broad jump; Oakley, of Oxford, for the
broad jump and hurdles; Koran, of Cam
bridge, for the three mile and half mile
runs; Lutyens, of Cambridge, for the mile
run; Jordan, of Oxford, for the quarter-mile
run and the hundred-yard dash; Robertson,
of Oxford, for the hammer throwing; VIII
liams, of Cambridge, for the hundred-yard