The Washington herald., 1908-04-19
Will Be Given Preference for
the Olympic Crew.
oARsMEN MUST BE AMATEURS
American Committee VIII Investi-
gate and Be Responsible for the
Standing of Each Competitor En-
tered I'm Races at London July ~.
Eight Countries 90 Be Represented.

President James Pilkington. OF the Ma
tionai Association OF Amateur Oarsmen,
and Julian w. Curtiss OF YALE members
OF the American Olympic committee,
which has in charge the forming Of the
American eight-oared crew to compete at
the London Olympic games this summer.
will work on entirely new and novel lines
in selecting the crew.
IL is the intention of the committee to
send to England thoroughly represent
ative American crew, Irrespective OF the
influence that may be used to obtain a
seat in the boat for any particular oars
man.
For the first time in the history OF row
ing, American oarsmen will have an op-
portunity 10 meet crews of all nationali-
ties in competition. In addition 20 Eng
Iish crews, France. Belgium. Germany.
Holland, Canada, and Australia win be
represented, and the members of the
committee feel that with proper method
OF selection America can send a crew
that will win from any eight entered.
Crews had been sent TO the Henley
gatta, and also to the Worlds Fair re-
gatta at Paris i'm 1900, but these were
club affairs. and no serious effort has
heretofore been made TO get together
thoroughly representative crew.
Rules Are Liberal.
While the rules governing the regatta
are not quite as satisfactory as the
American committee would wish they are
considerably more liberal than those
adopted by the Henley stewards. 1t is
felt that the regatta is being held In
England. the British rowing authorities
are perfectly justified I'm framing their
own rules, the same as France did in 1900
and America In 1904, when regattas were
held In connection with the expositions
at Paris and 81. Louis. respectively. The
principal feature in connection with the
rules is that the British Olympic com
mittee has consented to allow the eX-
pcnses Of the foreign crews 10 be paid by
governments or clubs, which is "A conces-
sion from the Henley rules.
The invitation to send crews has been
extended to every country in the
world. No individual entries will be
received, and all entries from this
country must be made through the
American committee. This fact will
enable the American committee TO Sc
lect only the hest oarsmen to form the
crew. Instead or conhning the mem
bers Of the crew TO oarsmen belonging
to. rowing clubs the oarsmen sent to
England will represent the best OF the
American college rowing world. 1t is
probable that one more amateur
Oarsmen will be selected from Ma
tional Association club, but the ma
joFity OF the crew viii be taken from the
varsity crews that viii row at Pough-
keepsie and New London next June. The
reason for this is that the collegians
are in perfect condition after nearly six
months hard training. While these
men will not all row the same stroke
the difference is so trihing that il is
felt that a few weeks together IN the
same boat will bring the crew to
uniform stroke. The sole idea is to
obtain men who have the power to
push the she'll through the water style
viii be sacrificed to effectiveness. The
coaches OF the different college crews
Will be appealed to-. They viii be
asked to furnish the name Of one or
more or the best men in their crews
Committeeman PiIkington and Curtiss
will be constant visitors TO the head
quarters Of the college crews and vii.
make their own selections.
Club Men Have Chance.
According to the rules OF the Olympic
Regatta, the committee can pick twenty
seven oarsmen who show up well i'm all
or any OF the regattas held before June
T. These men Will contest against one
another until eight oarsmen and five sub
stitutes are selected. BY picking eight Of
the best oarsmen in the country the com
mittee expects little trouble i'm boating
them i'm time for them TO get plenty Of
practice together before they go abroad
early in July. In paying particular atten-
tiOn TO the college oarsmel the committee
viii not ignore any good club oarsman
who may qualify. but i'm giving collcgians
the preference IL is felt that better results
Will be obtained, and the prospects OF
winning the worlds championship thereby
improved.
The fact that the project has the unani-
nous approval OF the executive commit
tee of che National Association Of ANA
teur Oarsmen will go "A long way toward
insuring it's success, and II the club-row-
ing men can show as good form the
collegians they Will have equal chance
OF being selected for the crew
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