New Britain herald., 1915-01-16
FOUR MILE RACE IS
 FOUND NOT GUILTY
College Regatta at Poughkeepsie
 is NOt Cut to Three Niles.

| Ing association, the governing body
 or the intercollegiate regattu on the 1 Hudson, yesterday afternoon at the annual mldWinter meeting uennitely
 decided that there would be no change
 in the distance of the Varsity event,
 which will be over a four mile course i as in the past. This was the senti-
 ment of the stewards after the last
 regatta, but since that time there has l been much talk of the injury which
 resulted from the four-mile event l The question was re-opened at yes- 1 terday's meeting, and it was decided to hear the protests which have come from coaches, graduates, and under graduates only in so far as to state that the matter will be taken up and a definite investigation inaugurated.
 so that all of the facts may be com piled, and then if there is found to be an injury to the oars1nen from competition over the four-mile dis
 tance, the race will be shortened to
 three miles, The committee, however.
 evidently considers that the case of the advocates of the three mile plan
 is not proved as yet.
 Big Regatta on June 2S.
 One of the important features of yesterdays meeting was the fixing of the date of the next regatta, and it is set for June 23, which brings it on Monday. There were also several important changes in the regatta dis cussed, one quite radical in view of the long established custom at Pough- keepsie. That is to have the junior or freshman race rowed in the morn ing. Heretofore all of the races have been in the afternoon, and it has been found that there was a congestion sometimes which crowded the Varsity race so that it. was not always rowed on the best possible water conditions. The new scheme will solve this dif1i- culty, and make it possible to row the big race at a time when the wa ter conditions are perfect, and this policy will proba bly, be carried out even though 1t is necessary to change the printed order of the events. The Stewards have asked that this matter be gone into thoroughly and have directed that report be made on this proposition.
 At yesterdays meeting the three Stewards of the regatta were present Morton G. Bogue of Columbia, c. F. Tremen of Cornell and Howard Eli senbray of Pennsylvania. The other colleges which participate in the an- nual event have no voice in the run ming of the regatta, and are invited guests, and following the established custom it was decided to invite Syra- nSi1 n1 al win ner of the Pacific coast intercollegiate regatta. Washington last year being | that representative. The invitation to 1 Wisconsin will probably not be ac- cepted in view of the decision of the l of the Varsity race. The students at 1 the western college have been trying l to have a ban on rowing lifted, but l their plea rests on the supposition 1 that the race will in future be three 1 miles This means that the Badgers 1 will probably drop out of the regatta | after having been contestants for l many years.
 Charges Are Not Sustained
 Speaking for the committee, Mor- ton G. Bogue said in discussing the shorter race: "In view of the many 1 charges made against the four-mile 1 race, and the advantages claimed on behalf of the three mile race, the Stewards decided to make a thorough investigation with view of deter mining the relative merits of the three ) and four mile distances, and it was the sense of the meeting that if the investigation should prove that the four-mile race is detrimental the dis tance would be shortened, but that any action should be postponed un- til the result of the investigation could be fully discussed and considered
 The decision of the Stewards was not unexpected. It has never been the policy of the board to make changes. the present conditions of the regatta having been established for years. The method which will be employed to handle the short race question cannot but meet the approval of the advocates and opponents of the innovation. for the entire question rests on the point of injury, and a careful investigation by the Stewards