Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-26

MUCH DOUBT ABOUT
THE OLYMPIC EIGHT
College 0arsmen Indifferent.
Belief That the Crew Will
BE Weak and Unrep-
resentative.
By Edward r. Bushnell.

By Edward r. Bushnell.
The latest developments in the Olympic
rowing situation makes it extremely
doubtful whether this country will send
an eight-oared crew to take part in the
great aquatic feature of these revived
Hellenic sports in England this summer.
Without exception American oarsmen.
college and club. are angry and disap-
pointed with the American committee 8
handling of the rowing project to date. If
the committee itself knows how 1t is to
select this crew 1t has not informed the
rowing public. which is most concerned
in the matter. 1t would be hard to learn
the number of times the subcommittee,
composed Of James Pilkington and Julian
Curtiss, has changed it's mind on the
methods to be pursued in getting together
a representative eight. and just now even
the men who considered themselves avail
able candidates for an American eight
are not sure whether they have been
counted out or not.
1t seems to be the sense Of this COM
mittee that 1t can gather an eight to-
gether within the last six weeks, boat 1t
and send this conglomeration Of our row.
ing strength to England in the hope that
1t will be able to hold its own against the
British cracks. Such an idea is being
rightfully ridiculed on all sides and the
general sentiment Is that the American
committee has handled its problem In a
very poor manner.
The initial cause Of the whole trouble
is the vast difference in the rowing condi-
tons of the two countries and the insist
ence Of the English stewards that all COM
petttors should observe the English rules.
The Britons knew in advance that their
special rules were absolutely inapplcable
to America. The least they could have
done would have been to adopt set OF
rules which would have been fair and
satisfactory to all rowing countries. But
for the Britons to insist that this country
should observe the asinine amateur" rule
Of English rowing which makes ineligible
any man who has ever worked with his
suit.
Indignant at Committee.
What makes Americas indignation so
great is that our committee should not
have insisted upon and secured fairer
rules. The Englishmen have made a
most unfair discrimination against our
oarsmen. The members Of our track and
field team are merely required to be anna
tours in the general acceptance of the
terms and the sanction OF the American
rowing our men must subscribe to an
almost impossible definition Of amateur
ism and then must be harassed by Eng
lands inistence that these entries be re-
ceived by June l and that they be limited
TO twenty-seven men.
failed to act with the vigor it should is
evident The same general committee
has charge Of all our teams yet it per-
mits the English authorities to make a
f,{r
body of our athletes with nothing more
than feeble protest. If our committee
had taken firm stand when the rules for
the regatta were originally announced
there is no doubt that the Britons would
have made some concessions.
College oarsmen Indifferent.
No one seems to know just how the
problem will finally be solved. The club
oarsmen apparently regard themselves
out of 1t. and II they are eliminated only
the college men will be left. But this
disposition of the case is likely to in
crease rather than simplify the difficult
ties. The college men are not keen to
secure seats In a crew SO handicapped by
English rules that 1t is beaten before it
starts. But added to this are other diff
culties which cannot easily be surmount-
ed: Until the week ending June 81 the
collegfans will be devoting their entire
time to preparation for the two intercol-
leGiate regattas at Poughkeepsie and New
London. The fact that both Of these races
are for four miles, whereas the Olympic
race will be but a mile and five-six-
teenths. almost precludes the possibility
OF the same oarsmen preparing for the
two races. The Olympic race will be
nothing but sprint and any crew train
ed for six months to row four miles
would find 1t hopeless task to attempt
to readjust it's training for so short q
race as that on the Thames.
Finally the colleges have discouraged
their students from trying for the Olym-
pic eight, and without this encourage
ment the Olympic committee would find
1t almost impossible to get any college
men of ability for this crew. The latter
know that the Britons have every posi-
BILE advantage over them at the very
start. and since the American committee
has done SO little to reduce these handi-
mood to fill In for them.
It will probably be some weeks before
the case Is finally disposed of. but the
chances are that II this country Is repre-.
sented at all with an eight 1t will be a
hopelessly inferior combination, and not
one Of which America would have reason
to be proud. Unless England makes a
complete backdown it Is altogether likely
that no crew will represent this country.
Preparing for American Henley.
The two-mile race between Harvard and
Annapolis last week. which the Crimson
won by half a length. marked the open
ing Of the intercollegiate rowing season.
But the first big regatta which will at
tract the attention of the country will be
the sixth annual races of the American
Rowing Association at Philadelphia May
23. The stewards of this association have
already received the entries OF two crews