Evening star., 1915-01-21

flying to those who believe in this
sport as were those of DR.. Morgan to
the British rowing world.
Capt. Denegre of Yale says: 81 am
in favor Of the four-mile race be-
cause 1 consider 1t better test of
skill In rowing and coaching and as
ii better test OF endurance and gen
eralship. The three-miIe race is an
untried thing. My opinion is that it
would develop into more or less of a
sprint and would be more detrimental
physically than the longer course. In
AL racing it is the pace and not the
distance that kills.
II. A. Murray, captain Of the Har-
ward crew. says: In regard to chang
ing the distance to three miles, ] do
not believe it would lessen the stra in
on the men, as the pace would natural
ly be more severe over the shorter
course and the results would be about
the same. ] feel very strongly in favor
of retaining the four-mile race. hate
to break tradition, and l also think it
makes better race, as crew to
win must know how to row and can
not rely entirely on slugging."
James a. Ten Eyck, coach of the
Syracuse University Navy. states:
while there may not be any particu-
lar advantage gained by having the
crews race over a four-mile course.
] feel certain thai no permanent in
jury is caused by the strain on the
individual members of the crew.
Manager j. +. Paul of the Princeton
crews says: The fact remains, how
ever, that the men who have partaken
in distance rowing it exists in
American colleges today are the short
est-lived of any other collegiate ath-
letes, showing that the four-mile race
leaves n pretty telling effect upon the
oarsmen who have participated: BY
reducing the course to three miles a
certain appreciable amount Of the
VII, i.oI ct ro ha ~
mated and it would more or less be
evident that the element of skill, as
against that of endurance, would play
a larger part in the race
Manager W. Il. Hastings of the Cor
nell crew states:
The four-inile race requires too
much training. aud this training could
be reduced by adopting the three-mile
race.
r. c. cobb. manager of the Harvard
crew. says: II can't see how the
change to three miles is going ma
terially to alleviate that side of row.
ing \ four-mile race is a better race,
real race. and the best crew viii
win. Why was this distance ever de-
termined upon? l do not want to see
the Harvard-Yale course shortened
and l think l may fairly say that is
the general feeling at Cambridge"
C.V. p. Young of the Cornell physical
department says:
NO one attempts to defend present
day athletic competition on the ground
of mere exercise for the sake of sport,
or as actually contributing to the best
physical and mental efficiency of the
participant The amount OF training
required for participation in lntercol-
les-iate athletics, particularly rowing
and track athletics, is more than the
average man needs. and is apt to be-
come a positive menace if too sud-
den change is made to a sedentary
manner of living. Therefore. If. as
rowing experts agree, three emile
boat race will require less arduous
and less prolonged course of training
than a four mile race, let's have the
three-mile race in the interest of more
rational competition, and as being
more compatible with the real pur-
nose for which a student attends col
ieye. A three-mile race Will decide
the question of superiority, and will
not be any more of a sprint than IN
the present race, so why take the
added risk and needlessly prolong the
strain.
George w. Ehler, director of the ply
steal department of the University or
Wisconsin. states:
In my Judgment, the length OF the
race will not make any great dlner
ence. AS it is likely that three miles
will be rowed at very much higher
rate of speed than four miles. Inc
difficulty arises not so much from the
length of the race at the time tnat ~
is rowed, but in the amount OF work
necessary in training the crew to go
into the race The damage is usually
done before the race and not in it, eX-
cent that the crisis may come on that
occasion in the production OF acute d.
lation of the heart.
Vivian Nickalls, coach OF the fehh-
sylyania crew, states:
"If the race is reduced to three, or
even two miles, it only means bigger
sprint, and I consider ! % miles ae
than The four miles. You have to do
lust as much work for the shorter race
as you do for the longer.
And this conclusion of Nickalls is
sound, as every one knows who has
tried out. At one time IL was deter
mined at one of our larger rowing uni