Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-14

Rowing Association to send crew to
Poughkeepsie, and until 1t does receive
such an invitation it's competition is
out Of the question.
AS to the Competition of the Univer-
sity of Mississippi, that is merely a
rumor. Mississippi has never done
anything in rowing. and is not likely to
find the athletes or tho funds sufficient
make any sort Of respectable showing In
such a proposed regatta.
Expense Big Obstacle.
But the biggest obstacle toward the
organization of such a regatta is the
expense connected with the development
and maintenance of crews. 1t costs all
the eastern universities anywhere from
$4,000 to $4,000 a year to maintain a
crew, and, except what is received by
subscriptions. rowing is conducted at
all these universities at a dead loss.
The only way that Wisconsin ever
maintains its own crew is through sub
scriptions of this sort When all these
obstacles are considered in their true
light IT is seen that such regatta as
proposed is far in the distance.
There Is no doubt whatsoever that all
the eastern universities, particularly
welcome any sort Of proposition that
would bring Harvard and Yale into
competition with such universities as
Cornell, Pennsylvania and umbia.
have a standing invitation to compete
at Poughkeepsie, but this invitation
they have never seen fit to accept. 1t
is believed Harvard would be friendly
toward such proposition, but Yale
has never failed to turn it down hard.
The Els have always given as their ex-
cuse that their big race of the year
is the dual event with Harvard. at New
London. They seem to take refuge be-
hind the fact that they have every
giving up their dual regatta and COM
peting at Poughkeepsie. They seem to
think that it would be out of the ques-
ton for them to hold a dual race with
Harvard during commencement week
and to compete at Poughkeepsie also.
1t is true that these two big regattas
come within a few days of each other.
but if Yale and Harvard showed dfs-
position to meet the other colleges hall
way there is no doubt that a suitable
date could be arranged SO that Yale and
Harvard could compete at Poughkeepsie
and then follow it with dual race, If
they SO desired. OF course. the drawing
power of the race at New London is
due to the greater prestige of Harvard
and >Yale in rowing matters. 1t IS a
question, however, whether or not their
competition at Poughkeepsie would in
terfere with the size of the crowds at
New London, which are brought there
as much by the other festivities OF
commencement week as by the race IT.
self
No Big Regatta.
1t can be stated with authority that alb
solutely no official steps have been taken
either by Harvard or Yale, or the col
leges that row at Poughkeepsie toward
bringing about meeting between the
two bodies. The matter is likely to be
brought to a head. though, within few
years, when Princeton decides where her
whatsoever that the Tigers will attempt
to enter some big intercollegiate regatta
within another year or two. Princeton
men know that they have standing in
vitation to compete at Poughkeepsie. put
they have given no intimation of what
their future action will be. This will de-
pend upon the sort Of showing Princeton
makes in her first intercollegiate race,
which is to be triangular affair with
Yale and Cornell on Lake Carnegie next
Saturday. There does not seem to be
much possibility of Princeton competing
against Harvard and Yale at New Lon
don, much as graduates Of that institu-
ton would like. 1t is due to the fact
that the river at New London is too mar
row to permit three crews to row abreast.
They have done so in the past. notably
when Cornell competed there and Incl
dentally defeated both Harvard and Yale.
The inability of the three crews to row
together comfortably was given as the
excuse of Yale and Harvard for not in
viting Cornell to return after the Itha-
cans had defeated the New Englanders.
Bearing this in mind 1t is hard to see how
Princeton can consistently be invited to
meet Harvard and Yale at New London.
If Princeton does not row at New Lon
don the ONLY place left the Tigers Is
Poughkeepsie. The Hudson river is wide