Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27
PRINCETON OARSMEN
ARE SHOWING FORM
Will Row Middies and May
Take Part in the Larger
Regattas.
By Edward r. Bushnell.

L ~ 00Wo4 ~ O00AAASAAs
That every available effort Will be made
to secure the entry Of q Princeton crew
in the annual regatta Of the American
Rowing Association to be held this year
May q. 10 indicated by the announcement
made for the first time that w. w.
Roper. the Tigers new athletic director.
| has been made a member Of the board OF
stewards Of this association. Mr. Roper
takes the place Of the late Mr.. Cuyler.
who took SO deep an interest In athletic
affairs at Princeton.
| One Is not warranted at present In as
Stunning that Princeton will actually send
an eight or four to the big regatta on
the Schuylkill river. Philadelphia, but
Mr.. Roper Is more likely to bring about
this result than any other man who could
have been selected from Princeton. Roper
believes that Princeton should take an
active part In intercollegiate matters, and
just as soon as Princeton Is ready to
enter any intercollegiate regatta 1t will
probably be the American regatta.
There are several very good reasons for
the belief that the time is at hand when
| the Orange and Black oarsmen will be
seen on the Schuylkill. Two Of these are
Mr.. Roper and DR.. j. D. Spaeth. MI.
| Roper is a Philadelphia, and. although
| the director of athletics at Princeton. has
| been making his home in the Quaker city
DR.. Spaeth. who is the coach Of the
Princeton crews, is a graduate OF the
| University Of Pennsylvania, and some
| twenty years ago was one or the eauakers
best oarsmen. His coaching or the Ilger
crews is not due to his membership in
Pennsylvania eight. but he is the only
man on the Princeton faculty with the
necessary experience to coach crew.
OF course. the American regatta Is no
a. nv,fo ho tn
Harvard. Yale, Princeton or Cornell, but
as the regatta has always been held on
the Schuylkill and is evidently a fixture
there, the relations Of both Roper and
Spaeth to Philadelphia are sufficient to
bring the Tiger crews II they can be
brought.
Apparently the only obstacle now to be
overcome Is the attitude OF the Princeton
faculty, which last year voted against any
intercollegiate regattas. This objection
stiIl remains to be overcome, but DR..
Spaeth and Mr.. Roper could probably
accomplish 1t. Just now Princeton Is ne
gotiating with Annapolis for race on
the Severn. but this need not necessarily
Schuylkill, as well. The nearness or
Princeton to Philadelphia Is another In
centive to Princeton competition on the
Schulykill. for the Tiger oarsmen would
not need to be absent from the university
more than day.
Princeton Growing Ambitious.
Another and more striking evidence Of
Princeton's determination to rank with
the other big athletic colleges has been
furnished by the engagement Of Keene
Fitzpatrick Of the University Of Michi-
gan to act as coach OF the track team
and trainer Of the foot ball team. Mr..
Fitzpatrick has been to western college
athletics what Mike Murphy of Pennsyl-
vania has been to the sport in the east.
Murphy is. Of course, the more expert
enced man, but Fitzpatrick has shown
enough ability to warrant the belief that
given the same material he could accom-
plish almost as much as Mr.. Murphy.
Just how much Princeton had to pay
Mr.. Fitzpatrick cannot be learned. but 1t
mt. have been at least $4,000. for
$500 from Michisan: It was t; .
rick could not be separated from Michi-
gan. Several years ago. before the re-
turn of Mike Murphy from Yale to Penn
sylvania, the Quakers tried to get Mr..
Fitzpatrick from Michigan. It IL under
stood that Pennsylvania offered to raise
his salary from $1,000 to $500. But
promised to do better than anything
Pennsylvania would do that the Quakers
stopped bidding. Michigan was able to
keep Fitzpatrick because 5000 Of his
salary was paid by the state of Michigan.
so that the Athletic Association Of Mich
igan was obliged to pay him only $780,
In view Of this arrangement 1t was very
much of q surprise to the college world
to learn that Fitzpatrick was ever In
duced to leave Michigan.
It will be interesting to observe just
what Fitzpatrick succeeds in doing with
Princetons track prospects. The Tigers
have won but q single intercollegiate
championship: That was in 1876. the
frat nf the q lxy
every year since then Princeton has made
a rather mediocre showing, and since
1900 has done very poorly This has been
due largely to lack Of interest. lack Of
material and the absence of a spirit Of
cooperation. There Is no doubt that Mr.
Roper and Mr.. Fitzpatrick between them
will change this state OF affairs as much
as 1t can be changed. Indeed. Prince
intercollegiate track athletics 1t may be
concluded that the trouble Is too deep
seated to be ever eradicated.
But the engagement of Fitzpatrick will
do even more for foot ball at Princeton
than the selection OF new coach He
| will supply Just what Princeton has
needed for years. but could not find.
namely. real trainer who could be de-
pended upon to have the Tiger eleven
! in good physical condition for the cham
! pionship game with Yale. Many a Prince
| ton defeat has been due primarily to the
lack of proper training. But Fitzpatrick
| has never let Michigan enter a champion
ship game out Of condition. and Princeton
| is deserving of congratulation in getting
so valuable trainer and coach. With
! the engagement Of Roper as director of
| athletics and coach of the foot ball
| team and Fitzpatrick as coach OF the
| track team and trainer OF the foot ball
men the Tigers have patched up about all
| the weak points noticeable In the system
| of athletics employed there. Beginning
| with next September. Princeton may be
| expected to take on a new lease OF life
athletically speaking.
The Boom for Soccer.
Association foot balr has made more
| progress as q college sport in the east
| within the last year than any other form
OF athletics in the intercollegiate curricu-
| lum. It owes its existence primarily to
the criticisms against Rugby foot ball.
| This game was put forward as a sub
stitute for the Rugby sport at Columbia
| and for the same reason 1t has found
| many supporters at other universities
| The latest evidences, OF its popularity
have been It's establishment at the Uni
versity of Chicago and the agitation for
other eastern institutions.
That soccer has a great future before
| il in this country is sure. Wherever it
| has been introduced IL has Jumped into
| immediate and lasting popularity. Even