Norwich bulletin., 1917-02-03
TIMELY PLEA FOX
 COLLEGE oARsMEN.
intercollegiate Stewards Are Asked to Reduce Races from Four to Three Miles.

[. It seems that it would be stroke of good policy. to reduce the distance of the annual intercollegiate boat race on the Hudson river at Poughlxeepsie from four to three miles. And in doing
 this the stewards could well afford to give consideration to the other college men whose stature and weight did not assure them of seat in the varsity boats of the various crews. Rowing and swimming are, perhaps, the most exhaustive of all athletic competition. This is especially true in swimming, for it brings into play nearly every muscle of the human body. If you want to be convinced of this, just try to swim a half mile in any non-tidal stream Don't quit when you feel tired, but keep on swimming until you reach your goal If you are not in the best of physical condition you will find when you reach the finish you will climb into the boat or on to the float, as the case may be.
 Rowing is a close second Go out on the Schuylkill river and if you are not member of one of the boat clubs hire a working boat or single gig which is it's real aquatic name row from the Fairmount dam to the trolley bridge at Strawberry mansion and re- ounce of strength in each stroke, kick your legs out on the catch, putting all your power in your pair of oars. When you pull up alongside of the float at
 
 four miles. If you are not "an in," the writer will have missed his guess. This is sculfing alone. When you feel tired you can lessen your stroke It is not so with the man who pulls a sweep oar in college eight. When the four port oars are swerving the shell out of it's course the coach and coxswain know that some starboard oar is shirking. his duty That can be quickly discerned. As they say in England, then series of rubbing trials begins. The apparently weak candidate on the starboard side is placed in a pair-oared gig with cox swain against fellow who pulls a port oar They paddle to midstream. The shell is steered with its prov straight up or down the river. The conswain releases the tiller ropes and very soon the rowing strength of the two sweep oarSmen receives a rare test The stronger of the two, or shall we say the more skilful oar, pulls his rival into the opposite shore This is the elimination process resorted to by a majority of coaches when they have number of candidates of equal abil- fty and whose superiority over each other can only be determined by the
 rubbing process.
 Take. for instance Pennsylvania Coach Wright will probably have more than 150 candidates to select a first and second varsity crew from. A ma Jority Of these men began training on the machines shortly after the Christ mas holidays. They will continue their arduouS work all spring on the river racing with each other until the eli max comes in June on the Hudson river at Poughkeepsie. Only a varsity and second eight can compete at this regatta Sixteen men in all have won that right of the 15O candidates who have worked hard day by day. making sacrifices and privations- Why should they all be thrown in the discard Why shouldn't there be race for 150 pound men and another, say for 140 pound men? Give them all chance Rowing is clean, healthful sport. It strengthens and increases the lung capacity, quicl<enS a mans blood and teaches him to respect the mandates of nature. The stewards of the inter collegiate regatta, those of the Amer ican Rowing association, and even our cup and peoples regatta, should broad en their programs and give the little fellows a chance.
 The writer has always opposed a | four mile race for either college or clubmen. It is too great a strain A man who pulls an oar to his physical ] limit is invariably in a state of col |, lapse at the finish He is inviting per | manent injury in a valvular heart or | sowing the seed of some physical | weakness. When such men as Charles | B. Courtney and Joe Wright. men who l have spent a lifetime in the associa- | ton of rowing, place themselves on l record as advocating the abolishment l of the four mile race, the intercollesi- ate stewards should give it serious l consideration.
 No one would suffer any hardships | in the change. In fact. it would lik develop into a greater aquatic Specta cle for those who follow the race ashore. Each event would be fought 1 right out to the finish and the inter collegiate regatta could rarely be dubbed procession. - Philadelphia l