Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-14
OUR ATHLETES At OXFORD.
What the Rhodes Scholars There May
Do.

l.. ..,ra...tle in the pros poet. In &C
,,.r,.,c,. vi-b Mr.. Rhodess belief that
he who runs may read, while readils
men az a rule Will not run. many OF thr
successful candidates are athletes llfsi
ana students second. Ii We may D--
1i.ye what has be.-n reported-th"uzh
il * 10 " remembered That lht-i 'ir"
ere from the days of H~I1cotu@ nave
nC'rri been Wiling .ictIns OF tan 81"
rles-Qu.e,.'a club next Easter IS IKE
Is 10 abound in American competitors.
Perhaps because they are a niue
older or a little more conndetlt-dlii
thu American climate develops MOI
rapidIy thar ours both physique ana
.aseurance-the new freshmen d.
credited with achievements unheaFd o.
lin fires hm-n We may perhaps eNc|pl
two athletes e-nt from charternouSe'
Of whom ole, it vas nois"d. had run
IN. sch0o! hundred in 9 - setoHu9'
.ar.d the other = mile in four minutes
tx.nry-srvcn srco.ds. II Il uue
mat one faiird to get his blue ana the
Other won 10 event. but SURPRISING
that ther~ American freshmen sh'u'u
Eventually come NOR" nearly ui' "
nh. rrDutttinn they bring win theIii
ana finally exercise prrI"hdtrdit
weight IN the athletic club. rather
d.lic,.t. and complicated position Is set
3up.
tn. watches against Harvard and
VII. .r.. roW NOR. or less regularly
eet;,bliskrf VIII oxford b. judged
10 have beaten Harvard # derldlilg
event is y.on for h"r by an American
yrb,. ,,e.. is anything but Hnpr"hdh!'.
Ham ~ iUv rat J, viii not occur fire.
'uu,u1lv Cambridge On the "th"!
hand viii hav" American r"ml-ut"rS
,ur,tipuaIIy against th.m. They VIII
have. good reason 10 f""l aggrleVrd II
as members Of an English University
th.y are. beaten hy th"s'. wh" arr ~
no sense Eiitish, and indeed may
claim that they trr not beaten on th'lr
,r,.rits if wear by wear deciding events
AZ" won ty this body 81 srauudt''' ~
unrt.i from abroad.
mis- i. the more. likely as the sChoi-
ors are bound by the law of their adj
mission to nc Of exceptional athletic
ptofricucy Tn cisr ~ ca@ud
Americans rowing for oxford was of a
different u,Iality. Certainly on the
ln., ocrasion that this happened no.
.'nnhritgc nau-if H. cared for ms
univ.rsity-Wnihd have felt any "p-
lection Eut in athletics oxford also
would scarcely feel proper satisfaction
IN her representatives. 1t W"uld De
as if the club wrr" yearly packed LOT
tn. occasion. after tn" manner aHteeh
atainSt Am. riCan clubs at the tllne Oh
~, Inst International meeting. This
unfairu"Ss il increased by the ac'id"ht
that sornr special events are much
..,ig and little
n England. Here however w" may
look forward to tn" small coinpthSd
tinn that sucCessions Of American VIC"
tories may induce Cambridge, alter All
tIr@, y,trs. to consent To the f"J'tlloh
Of ,u. Of the gyInnastic events
Loss obvious but perhaps more IN
trirsic objections tn the American
rcrr.s,utatiun Of oxford spring from
the divergent views held in the wv"
countries on the manner OF playing the
game II is much 10 the credit OF
Americans that they are p'"pie tot
readily absorbed. Their desir" to lick
cr.atiou'' involves a determination |"
Hex It INTO their shape. Athituca'iS
az course they will have some u"ubie
in IN liking any impression on an 'N-
fori representative Whon' WIN
American leave. We may call IN 'hiS
connection Mr.. Stonewall jackson. But
he too. rs WIS said of the confederate
general. may need I" take up ms
stand ON behalf IF the pure and rtso-
nut. virtues of his people.
An American athletic meeting. as
also tn. training preliminarles. Is con-
dtlctod ON a very different system IRON
nurs. The ring is packed with useless
officials to such an extent that 'h'
,i., of the crowd and the genera
smooth conduct Of the meeting are no
, tittla int.rr,Ipted Otiit ials and COM
tc,itors admit their friends. II may De
their friends friends The professional
trainer of the team is almost the most
importaut person before or at the
meeting. He. is a ner 'ol who may give
himself up to the interviewer ana say
on the one side" the sort OF ConGratuta
tory thing that no undergraduate
would care to have hruited and on the
Other may attempt, III his desire II
score a point. to spread untrue and
superiuous information.
t-ttcr and yste:ious secrecy is one
Of the notes Of American athletics, III
rowing. football and athletics. l.:
England no captain or president
would think of attempting to concea
the ioings of his boat or eleven OF
team. These obvious points Of differ
cuce are of importance because in thf
case Of athletic sports the approxima
lion OF English to American methods
n dangerous probability. We do no
except to hear of president or th'
o. L. Il. c. telling rival spy that tn
boat will go out at 3 p. NJ. when HI
intends to row n course at II \. NJ; no
of n captain of the football club ap
nearing in an indiaruhber nosebag an
shouting mystic call-signalS 10 hi:
padded three quarters.
The Americans perhaps will not
especially excel at either game. though
some fine football players may be ex-
pectSd. But in athletic sports they ar,
likely 10 cone in greater proportion e
the front and the changes which they
nav desire to introduce are smaller
and NOR insidious. The idea Of al
American president of the @. U. A. c.
tcvoured by a desire to bring the meet.
inc into line with his native practice