New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-21
Charge of PROSECUTING
for Crews Seems To
Be UnfOunded
BY FRANK O'NEiLL

The members Of the intercollegiate
Rowing Association, who look ssksnce
AZ Syracuse because certain members
Of the Duluth Boat Club are members
Of the Orange crews, might look TO
home before going about the world
correcting evils. First, OF course u
must be established that permitting
boat club men to row on college crews
is an evil. II evil 1t be, however, tne
majority Of the colleges supporting
rowing have been winking at IL TOT
many years. Yale, Harvard, corner,
Pennsylvania and Georgetown, as wen
as Syracuse, nave boated men VINO nsd
represented rowing clubs throughout
the country.
Until last year, when Syracuse de-
veloped her wonderful eight, with "
Whiteside at stroke and Williams at
No. z, Osman in the waist Of the boat
and Captain Glass up in the bow, little
was said of club oarsmen and their re-
lation TO college rowing. When the
Orange crew won, however, it dawned
upon some that 10 permit club oarsmen
TO row was all wrong. 1t might en-
courage PROSECUTING in its worst form.
Then followed some agitation against
Syracuse, and it was whispered that the
Salt City crews would not be invited to
play on the Hudson any more.
One man went so far as TO charge
that the college by Onondsgs Lake i'm
ported its oarsmen. (This charge, by
the way, appears to be unfounded.) He
said in as many words that II steps
were not taken the regatta at Pough-
keepsie would develop into match be-
tween professionals and imported
foundry hands" The growing custom
Of permitting club oarsmen to row on
college crews was attacked.
There has never been any law against
cubmen rowing at the colleges. Indeed,
il has been quite customary. Since 1t
is legal and customary, 1t must follow
that it is above reproach. Admitting
this premise. Syracuse has been well
within her rights, since every man on
the crew was in good standing scholas-
tically and as an amateur.
Up to English Standard
The amateur rules of England have
always been moro severe than those in
force in this country. However, when
n. S. Middendorf and J. W. hidden
dorf, onetime members of the Arundel
land and rowed in the Henley regatta
on the Harvard crew there was no
question raised on their amateur status.
These men were members of the Har-
ward junior varsity crew that won the
Grand Challenge Club at Henley on
July 4, 1914. These same men rowed
on the Harvard second varsity against
Yale on the Thames in this country,
IL II nNhnE
instances might be cited of boat club
men rowing at Harvard. Phil Flint OF
the Wachusetts Boat Club, was a mem
Der of a Harvard crew that went TO
England.
For years boat club men have
won places on college crews. A. Vol,
of the Penn varsity, rowed with the
Undine eight i'm 1912, and has been IN
the Red and Blue crews since. He IS
eligible TO row at Poughkeepsie next
summer if he can win his place in the
boat. He has had more experience than
Whiteside or Williams, of Syracuse.
Ross, another Penn varsity man, rowed
at high school, then with the Undlne
Club and subsequently at college
Freshman and upper class man, he has
been in the boat
Many hOWC0 LOT OluDs
Further mention might be made OF
the activities of Penn's sweep swlngers
in boat club circles. In the peoples
regatta in 1914 Chickering, Marvin,
Butler, Gsrvin, Merrick and Marcy rep
resented the college boat club. In 1870
rowing in the colors of the Undlne
Boat Club, Chckering, VOL, Pepper
and Marcy along with others, won inc
senior cight-oared race. FOSTER, inc
coXswain. was at the helm IN TINS race.
One might 90 back into the arcnlveS OF
rowing for the last decade and discover
numerous other college boys who COM
peted for clubs.
Vale shells have been propelled by
sveeps manned by club oarsmen. Cord
Never who was identified with the
crews of the New York Athletic CLUB,
is one OF the men who wore the Blue;
George Marvin went 10 Harvard, ana
rowed. He also represented the New
York Athletic Club at times. Cy weed,
of tho Nassau Boat Club, Stroked the
Cornell crew in 1909. Jack McDermott,
IF The Wachusetts Boat Club, rowed
IN No 2 on the Cornell freshman crew
IN 400 while G.. G.. Tcrriberry, mem
nor Of the great Argonaut crew or
Toronto. pulled No. oar in the Cornell
crew in 1915. Walter Distler, of the
Ariel Boat Club, entered Cornell
strokcd the freshman eight in 1909,
held the same position on the varsity
four. and then graduated to the varsity
eight.
Were one to make an exhaustive ex-
animation of the rowing records at the
various colleges many other names