Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-08
ROWING STEWARDS
WILL WELCOME NAVY
Better Representation Want
ed in Annual Regatta and
Middies Will Fill the Bill.
By Edward r. Bushnell.

have a better representation of crews in
their annual regatta on the Hudson.
Therefore they are bound to be pleased
If the change in management at the
United States Naval Academy results in
the temperance of the middies at this
regatta 1t will be remembered that An
napolis' last and only appearance at
Poughkeepsie was In 1907. That year the
sailors had a fine eight. and Secretary OF
the Navy Metcalf, who was an old Yale
oarsman. was SO enthusiastic over the
achievements of the middies the year be-
fore that he secured permission for them
to compete at Poughkeepsie.
The middies had the benefit of about
two weeks practice on the Hudson. but
the best they could do was to finish third.
being beaten by both Cornell and CO.
lumbia In spite of this they roWed ex-
ceptionally we'll. their defeat being due
in a measure to the fact that they had
the worst course in the race. while Cor
nell and Columbia had the best. AFTER
the navy's debut in intercollegiate row.
they would be allowed to row each year.
But that has been found impossible, owl
ing to the expense and the fact that the
graduation of the senior class frequently
breaks up the crew before the HUDSON
regatta.
In view of these things it seems that
the best the middies can expect Is the
opportunity to compete once IN ABOUT
three years. Every effort. therefore. Is 10
be made to have the Naval Academy rep
resented next year. The middies retain
a good nucleus. for their 1910 ere" anu
may be expected to make good Show
ing.
has been in a bad way for competitors
in rowing There was time when the
middies had both Yale and Pennsylvania
as opponents every year, but Tor one rea-
son or another both these universities de-
cline to make the trip to Annapolis any
more. Harvard was secured to take the
place Of Yale, but the Crimson has de-
clined to renew the visits Since then
the Navy has tried to get Cornell TO
success. This leaves Annapolis with only
Columbia and Syracuse. Should the Navy
decide to row at POughkeepsle every
year the races with Columbia and SYRIA
cuse would probably be abandoned owing
to the request of the stewards that
crews which compete at Poughkeepsie
should not meet one another in dual races
Should this result the Navy would nave
to look to Harvard. Yale and Princeton
for dual races. Harvard and Yale are
both out Of the question and the status
Of rowing at Princeton is such that there
is almost no possibility of getting race
with the Tigers.
In connection with the effort of the
Navy to secure permission to row at
Poughkeepsie there is some speculation
as to the future Of rowing at George
town. Although Georgetown has not mad
a varsity crew for two years. rowing mas
not been allowed to die there. In fact
the southerners had quite a respectable
freshman crew this year and ought not
to experience much dffficulty in develop
ing varsity eight next year.
Few College Men Going.
Western men will have the field pretty
much to themselves at the annual cham
pionship meet of the Amateur Athletic
Union to be held in connection with the
Seattle exposition. August 13 and II. 1t
was originally expected that good-sized
team would be sent from various cities In
the east, but it has dwindled down to less
than a dozen men. The failure or the
Irish Americans Of New York to send q
team on account of the expense involved
left the New York A. C. to bear the bur-
den of unfolding the reputation of the
east The expense problem was what
prevented the various clubs in Philadel-
phia, Boston and elsewhere from sending
Representatives.
The continued failure Of the A. A. L. to
secure the attendance OF the leading col
lege men in the various sections of the
country has aroused comment In many
quarters It is a fact that with the ex
ception of q few college men who have
graduated and joined athletic clubs there
is practically none who completes for
honors In the A. A. L. meets. In one
sense this is to be regretted. for 1t pre-
vents these meets from reaching the high
est possible standard comparison of
the records Of the A. A. U. and the I. c.
A. A. a. A. shows conciusfvely that the
college men are considerably ahead Of
the club men.
The principal reason why the college
men do not compete at the A. A. U. meets
is the date of the games. The /. c. A.
A. A. A. championship meet is held each
year on the last Saturday In May, while
the A. A. Z. meet is usually held in
August or July. This makes it impossi-
Bile for the collegians to compete unless
they remain in training during the entire
summer-a thing which very few wish
to do.
If the A. A. Z. championships could be
held about the first Of July. as the Eng
lish hold their games on fixed date 1t
is certain that many college men would
If the winners of the different events at
the /. G.. A. A. A. A. meet in Cambridge
could be matched against the best men
who will compete at Seattle, there is little
majority of the first prizes. Foster. the
Harvard sprinter, Is undoubtedly better
than any of the 100 or 30 yard men in
the club ranks. There is some doubt
as to the ability of Blumer. the quarter
mile champion. to beat the club men, but
either Beck or Paul. who finished first
and second in the half-mile, could prob
ably beat Melvin Sheppard in his present
condition. Paul, with his record of AT 40
for the mile, could certainly romp away
from all rivals in this event, while the
same Is true Of p. ]. Taylor of Cornell,
the intercollegiate and American two
mile record holder.
In the field events the collegians would
have things their own way in the pole
vault and possibly the broad jump and
shot put. They would lose the hammer
throw and possibly the high jump. In
any event 1t would make an interesting
meet and 1t is" to be regretted that the
lateness Of the date prevents the COM
petition. of the college men.
Preparing for Foot Ball.
Although the opening of the foot ball
practice is now still some six weeks
In the distance. the big universities of the
east are laying plans which indicate that
they expect to make a strenuous cam
paign. This is particularly the case with
Harvard, Yale and Princeton, and it need
occasion little surprise IL these three in
stitutions start work earlier than usual
few years ago 1t was the custom of
these universities to frown on all pre-
Hminary practice before the last week
will be formally at work by the middle
Of the month and some Of them Sc
cretly some time before this.
There are different reasons for this anx-
iety to get started. Yale is still smart
Ing because Of the defeat administered by
Harvard last fall. The ELS took their
beating gracefully, but they set to work
before the snow was off the ground In
the winter to prepare for the coming sea-
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