Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-03
CLUB oARsMEN WORKED UP
DON'T RELISH BEING IGNORED
FOR THE OLYMPIC EIGHT.

The subcommittee of the American
Olympian committee. whose duty is to
suFgest the best method of selecting the
oarsmen who will represent this country
at the games next July In England. is
not occupying "a bed of roses now. nor
are their ears regaled with loud acclaim
for the decision made in the premises.
Indeed, the report. as published in full
in The Star last Sunday and extensively
cor led throughout America. has brought
dowr on the heads of the two gentlemen.
Messrs. Pilkington and Curtiss. anything
else but praise, and some of the remarks
are dipped In the btterest of gall. Es-
pecially is this true in the neighborhood
of New York, where the Harlem River AS
ISOLATION hourishes of which Mr.. James
Pilkington has hitherto been the high
mogul.
The oarsmen of the center Of rowing,
for besides the Harlem association there
are also the. Hudson River. Staten Island
Long Island and, HobOken associations
with a membership Of twepty-three cubs.
are I'D in arms against the proposition OF
making it college affair as against the
rowing club. What is true of New York
is also true Of the. Schuylkill Navy and
around that usually placid and serene
neigrborbood. .BCathouse Row." there is
nothing but condemnation of the commit
tees action. The argument advanced by
these active workers is that as they main-
tain rowing as sport and as they Will
pro rata have to put up the funds to meet
expenses of the trip abroad. the clubs and
not the colleges should. by all means,
have the preference.
The Philadelphians ridicule the ideas
advanced by The committee that under the
conditions, as they exist. it would be inn
possible to select a crew of clubmen who
would pass muster i'm England and be
accountable under the British definition of
an oarsman. The Schuylkill Navy boys
resent the insinuatiOn with considerable
feeling and say that although the English
definition Of an amateur oarsman is de-
cidedly unfair and unjust to a great many
of the members of the rank and file. there
are a score Of good men in the Bachelors,
Quaker City, Institute Barge. Crescent
NaIlas and College Boat clubs that would
nass muster anywhere. no matter low
strict was the classification of an oars
man.
The New Workers are incensed at Pill
kington, who they claim is being influ-
enced by Curtiss and the rest of the
OLYMPIC committee in throwing down the
clubs In order to raise the college men
above them. They also assert that NO
country France. Germany. Belgium. Aus
tralia, England or Canada. Is considering
college men. but all are bending their eff
forts to get together the fastest crews
from tne clubs. and the same method
they declare should have been followed
by the American committee.
1t is an unpleasant wrangle and to
make affairs worse the college crews are
not warming up. to the subject: in fact
they are treating the whole matter as a
good Joke Not one Of ttem regards IL
seriously but all say 1t Is the height OF
foolishness to expect college men. after q
long siege of four-mile work, TO wheel
around and get eight different collegians
10 work together in the sprint of mf;e
and q sixteenth. The college men admit
frankly that as the club men are used to
the sprinting pace in their races they
should be the ones selected.
When the rules became generally known
in New York and Philadelphia last Mon
day open bets were made with few takers
that the plan OF Messrs. Pilkington and
Curtis were adhered to there would he nc
efght-oared crew representing the United
States in the Olympic regatta.