Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-10
NOTABLE VICTORY
FOR THE STUDENTS
Harvard Sports to Be Intrust-
ed to a Committee of Under
graduates - Olympic
Crew Troubles.
By Edward r. Bushnell.

notable victory in the recent history Of the
Crimson university last week. when they
compelled their faculty, by monster pc
tition. to arbitrate the question of cur
failing sports at Cambridge. When the
faculty acknowledged the spirit tho stu
dents had shown it was practically the
first break from the arbitrary and dicta-
torial spirit the university authoritie1
have shown since the agitation began
there nearly three years ago. first for the
abolition Of foot ball and then for the cur
tailment of all forms of intercollegiate
sports. If they follow up their present
advantage and show a proper amount of
discretion in the use Of their new power
they ought to be able to put the cause Of
athletics on a firm foundation that no or
binary upheaval could shake.
To outsiders the excuse for Harvard's
athletic problems will always be a puzzle.
The smoothness with which athletic
Pennsylvania and Cornell are in such
sharp contrast to the perennial troubles
at Harvard chat the Crimson management
suffers by comparison. Indeed there can
be no doubt that the entire lack Of CO.
operation between the undergraduates,
the faculty and the alumni has been to
blame for most of the confusion that has
existed. 1t Is now almost certain that
indoor sports will be continued at Har-
ward and that the faculty will be obliged
to recede entirely from its previously an
nounced position.
To those who are most closely in touch
with the scholastic and moral standards
which prevail in American universities
it is hard to understand on what ground
faculty men ask their students to give up
athletic competition. A comparison Of
the morals Of the undergraduate bodies
Of American and European universities Is
as good an object lesson as one could want
to prove that athletics is the strongest
safeguard our student bodies could have.
Not only is this true Of a healthy indul-
gence in athletics. hue it has special refer
ence to intercollegiate competition. than
which there is nothing better calculated
to make gentlemen Of students The re-
strand SO necessary in intercollegiate
cha mpionship contests is something that
can be acquired on the athletic held lar
better than in the classroom.
Just how Harvard students and facnity
will work out their salvation is question.
It is fortunate for the undergraduates
that the committee which has been given
power to settle the question Is as able as
it u.s. 1t is composed of a brand or men
who, heretofore. have not had full sway
in Harvard athletics. but who have shown
marked ability to handle the Cr!mson's
athletic difficulties and who apparently
NAV be counted on to bring order out OF
the present chaos and put Harvard ath-
letics on a basis that will command re-
spect from the outside world and conf
dence from tho faculty.
Troubles About Olympic Crew.
The subcommittee which has been striv-
ing to find some satisfactory method of
securing an eight-oared crew to represent
this county in the Olympic regatta is ap-
parently about ready to throw hands up.
Within the last few days both Messrs.
Pilkington and Curtiss. who comprise this
committee, have admitted that their prof.
ect is likely to result in failure. No one
need be surprised II 1t does. for good
MANY rowing enthusiasts saw this result
as Inevitable when the committee an
nounced its plans.
Rowing men everywhere Will rightly
feel inundated to think that the United
States cannot have a representative eight
at this international regatta. Cndoubted-
1v. the fundamental cause of failure to
he represented, If no crew Is finally sent.
NAV be traced to the unfair eligibility
rules insisted upon by the English stew
ards. But the American commlttee should
not be altogether relieved Of responsibility
for these rules. American oarsmen do
not hold their own committee to blame
for the drafting of the rules. but they do
think that they should be censured for
not making a demand that the oarsmen
of this country have equal rights with the
oarsmen of England and.the continent.
The idea that an international regatta
of this character should be cfcumscrlDed
by the narrow and prejudiced eligibility
rules of the English Henley Is distasteful
to fair-minded sportsmen. Ii Enslishmen
want to observe these rules at their own
local regattas they have that right. but
it is certainly preposterous for them to
adopt such rules for an International re-
gatta. Furthermore. the ruling that
American entries must be In the hands of
the English stewards by June l Is dis
elimination of the worst kind. for the
English and the continental crews have
a month more time for making their en-
tries.
American oarsmen think that when the
rules were first announced protest from
every rowing organization In this country
should have been lodged with the English
committee, demanding that unless the
rules were changed this country would not
be represented in the regatta. There is
no doubt that If this had been done the
English would have made some liberal
concessions That this was not done is
the reason why the committee is now SO
generally condemned.
The latest project to select the Ameri-
can crew from the best oarsmen at the
, Poughkeepsie and New London regattas.
judging from the way it has been re-
ceived. is not regarded as practicable by
coaches There are eight uni.