Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-15

this year. By the device of statistics, the old guard of soreheads attempted to prove that an oarsmzan on the Harvard varsity crew had to be a member of one of the exclusive final clubs of Harvard. A sad picture was painted of the pOOr-but honest, hard working but down -trOdden athlete, with no club affiliations, who had to endure the oblivion of a seat in one of the rear boats because he didn't belong"
 The charge was made openly that the Harvard crew would be made up of the leading eight gentlemen of the university. with slight regard to their rowing prowess. There were rumors of revolt and mutiny in the crew. The Harvard daily paper unmasked a bat tery of editorial guns early in the sea- son to force a shift in the power over crew affairs.
 With slight help from any except those who understood himself and his purposes, Herrick worked hard and paid no attention to the sharp shafts of singing criticism. Then he fur nished a crew that defeated Cornell and Yale in uccession-Which is about all that any Harvard man could want for one seasons performance.
 When Herrick commenced his sec Ond season as Harvard head coach he will be better understood. There will be no mutering against his methods put JnGGe Will De real ana GHGCtlNG CO., operation. That's what the birth of system-and it's widespread reCogni- tiOn-Can do in the span of a single year.
 Herrick was stroke on the Harvard crew in 1889 and captain the follow ing year. After his graduation, he still kept in touch with crew affairs at Cambridge, and for the past 10 years has been chairman of the advisory committee on rowing at Harvard. He first proved himself a coach Of unus- ual acumen two years ago when he developed the second varsity Harvard crew that went to England and won the Grand Challenge cup from crews assembled from all parts of the world.
 Harvard's successive defeats in 1914 and 1915, after an unbrOlxen stretch of seven years, led to dissatisfaction with Jim Wray, who was then in charge HerriclI was the leader of the oppo- sitiOn to Wray, and it was he who made a settlement with the deposed coach that resulted in the resignation of Wray before he had fulfilled the terms of his contract. The fact that Herrick was made head coach after he had been instrumental in removing Wray was one of the reasons for the resentment of Harvard men who. in great numbers, believed that Wray would turn out successful crews if he were left alone
 TIerrick enlisted as his assistant Bill Haines, an old English oar, whom Wray had induced to come to the United States. The defeat of the Har- ward crew in it's first race of the season against Princeton in April led to reports of Reorganization. When the Harvard crews cleaned up in the regatta with Cornell on the Charles river late in May, winning all four races, the result was somewhat of a r,g-1- %rN T not until then that a sort of doubting confidence was restored to the crews as they were being taught by Herriclz It took the last and biggest race of the season against Yale to convince everybody that Coach Herric1 was as from now on he will be the unshack- led master of his own system. It is 'Y&le's turn to squirm in discomfort.
 The most famous of all the Harvard systems will be highly taxed in its op- erations this fall, when Percy D. HaEghton attempts to do what he has been doing with satisfactory regular ity in the past. This year the Har- yard football team will assemble early in September t prepare for the sea sons campaign without any BricIleys, Mahans, Hardwicks, or Pennocks as sure-ffre prospects for the lineup, Even the first choice captain, Joe Gil- man, has been taken away. Surround ing Captain Harrie Fl. Dadum there will be a thin array of football men who have really been tested and found O. K.
 To maintain the sequence of victor ies over Yale this year Haughton will be up against one of the most severe tasks of his term of office at Cam bridge. If he can turn out triumph ant team from a group of starless ath- letes, it will be the greatest example yet rendered of the efficiency of his system.