New-York tribune., 1899-07-23
THE INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE GAMES.

Hearty congratulations are In order all around
hpon the result Of the international interunlver
ety athletic contest at the Queens Club grounds
in London yesterday. The participants were
British team selected from the universities OF
Oxford and Cambridge and an American team
selected from Yale and Harvard 1t will not be
ungracious to say that the former was, from
national point Of view, the more truly represen-
tative. We do not suppose the pre-eminence OF
the two great universities in athletic sports Is
seriously questioned by any other institutions OF
learning In the United Kingdom, but 1t is per
fecty we'll known that such pre-eminence Of
Yale and Harvard here is not only questioned
but often successfully challenged. At the pres
ent time there is reason 10 believe that In some
, OF the sports Of yesterday other American col
leges could have furnished ADLER contestants
than those who wore the colors OF Yale and
Harvard. This Is said, however, merely by the
way, and In no spirit OF carping or of excuse for
defeat 1t was not an all Britain challenge to
oil America, but an oxford Cambridge challenge
to Yale and Harvard. Both sides sent, sup
pose their best men. And the OxfOrdCam-
bridge combination won. That is the whole
story.
We have said congratulations are in order.
They are due to both parties for the admirable
spirit Of courtesy and the unfailing true sports
manship In the highest sense OF the word which
have prevailed from the first intmation OF the
challenge 10 the final decision Of the final con
test There could be no more effective object
lesson TO teach the difference the essential CON
trast, between "sportsmen" and sporting men"
than that which these young men have fur
nisbed. 1t is unspeakably refreshing 10 turn
from the spectacle OF Freedmanized baseball
and six day bicycle races and all the rest of the
denominations which are practised In the name
OF sport to that presented by these clean limbed
and clean minded young athletes, contending as
true men with true men for the sole sake Of the
glory Of conquest Congratulations are due 10
the British universities and their representatives
upon their victory, which was won by narrow
margin, but fair and sufficient one, no
mean antagonists They due especially to
Cambridge, whose men won four Of the five con
tests won by the British team. In comparable
measure they are due TO our own men upon the
splendid struggle they made and upon the num-
. Der of contests-four out OF nine-which they
won. Nor is a special word Of congratulaton to
be withheld from Harvard, whose agile and
sinewy soDs won all the four Victories credited
TO the American team. 1t was for Harvard q
fine crowning Of q fine years record In athletic
sports.
There Is little ground for detailed discussion
of the contests. The achievements Of the men
were uniformly good, though there does not ap-
pear to have been any sensational record
breaking" The victories were so variously dis
tributed moreover, that neither side can be said
10 have shown marked superiority In any one
class OF efforts. Thus while the Britons won the
lono distance races and thus eyinced superIor
staying powers" an American won the hurdle
race, which is scarcely second to the others as a
test In that respect. The 440 yard and 100 yard
races were won respectively by Cambridge and
Harvard. showing fine sDrinting abilities In each.