The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-08-12
PLAN NATIONAL
COLLEGE HENLEY
Veteran Columbia Coach Suggests
Big intercollegiate Event

New York, Aug. Eff Fred Plais-
ted, the veteran oarsman and Column
bia assistant coach had his way, the
intercollegiate regatta would be held
on Carnegie lake at Princeton and
would be run off in heats similar To the
English Henley. The regatta would
take several days and would bring out
every college crew in the country. The
caliber of the oarsmen would be far
above those produced in any other
part OF the world, according To Plais-
ted. because the work Of developing
oarsmen would begin with youths reg
istering in the preparatory schools be-
fore they had reached their sixteenth
birthday.
"Poughkeepsie IL becoming less and
less capable of handling the crowds
that come to see the intercollegiate re-
gatta each year." said the veteran
coach the other day. THE tidal condi-
lions OF the Hudson always treated
several crews unfavorably. If the re-
gatta were to be rowed off on smooth
body of water like Carnegie lake,
where only two crews could row at
time. there would be at least sem
blance of the crews rowing upon equal
footing. The crew that would come
through the final round would be the
best crew beyond a doubt. Cut the dis
lance down to a mile and five eighths.
The best crew will win in that distance
just as well as in one four-mile grind.
Could Accommodate All.
THE boathouse at Princeton could
house all the crews that would enter,
and / am sure that the followers OF
the sport would be willing to pay for
grandstand privileges in order to help
defray the expenses. They have TO pay
50 for seat in the observation train,
thus beneflting the railroad stockhold-
ers. I'm one, | know. who would
rather pay 1t to the rowing association,
which has the best interests of the
sport always in mind, that to the rail-
road company, which isn't moved by
any feeling of philanthropy when deal
ing with sporting crowds.
Just imagine "a regatta in which
Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard,
Yale, Syracuse. Leland Stanford, Wis
consin. Washington Pennsylvania and
other colleges competed in an elimina-
ton event covering several days, as
does the English Henley. And instead
OF giving the winning crew a hearty
handshake, why couldn't we give the
members OF II something they would
al bA UfN
the members OF the crews the oars they
rowed with. Why couldn't the regatta
association give the winning crew use
full prizes. gold watches suitably in
scribed, for instance?
Best Of All Even Now.
IF the schoolboys were taken care
of properly. the big regatta would un-
questionably settle the rowing suprem-
acy Of the world. Even as matters now
stand there are at least six crews in
this country that eould beat any for
eign crew that you can mention. The
Harvard second crew wouldn't stand a
| chance with Columbia. Cornell or
Pennsylvania, yet the Crimson young
sters just walked away with the Eng
| lish classic. BY developing our oars
men early under American methods we
would have wonderful crews when they
matured. The schoolboys must be the
| field for experimentation.
AT Columbia we have several eight
cared shells lying idle that could just
as we'll be used teaching schoolboys
how to row. There is n shell In the
Gould boat house that has not been
used in so many years that II has rot
ted away In the water A few colleges
are beginning to see the advantage of
breaking in schoolboys. A shining ex-
ample is Cornell That wonderful
freshman eight OF the Ithacans was
practically the same crew that rowed
for the Cascadilla school a year ago.
The boys were rugged similar to Cor
nell and taught the Cornell stroke.
When they came to Courtney all he
had to do was to keep on developing
| them.
| Gradual Development.
AT Columbia we get boys who have
done no rowing at all. They are run
ners, basket ball players, baseball