Evening star., 1920-04-07
.BR|TON WAS GREATEST
AUTHORITY ON ROWING
Tribute Paid Late DR.. Ware.
Professional Foot Ball Is
Likely to Grow.
BY WALTER CAMP.

The sport and science Of rowing has
lost its greatest authority in the death
of the Rev. Dr. Ware, headmaster OF
Eton for nearly half a century. Perhaps
the most startling experiment he tried
was the building of a shell on different
lines from those which had generally
been accepted, and had it not been
for the inordinate expense involved
in making experiments with shells, there
is little doubt but that the doctor would
have evolved some new constructions
which would have bettered the time OF
eight-oared shells. In the case of this
particular experiment the doctor built a
shell which, instead Of the long spear
like bow, had more of a shoulder and
was considerably shorter forward pro-
portionately. When the doctor placed
his crew in this shell for the first time
they beat the time that had been for
seemed as if the problem had been
solved. The next year the doctor. after
practicing different crew in one of the
ordinary shells, shifted them into the
snubnosed shell with bounding conf
dence that they would, as had his crew
many seconds. Much to his surprise and
chagrin, their time was nearly half a
minute slower, and the doctor then real
lied that the problem of wave resistance
was something more intricate than he
had conceived and that it depended very
materially upon the weight and balance
of his crews whether the shell would
travel more rapidly or more slowly.
Professional Foot Ball.
The question of professional foot ball
Is one which will not be easily settled
by college authorities. 1t will, in the
long run, depend upon whether the pub
lie demands it strongly enough to make
it big paying proposition. 1t is purely
commercial and will undoubtedly con-
tinue to be played as i has been in the
past in certain sections where it is profit
able, and it may extend its scope.
Is it any wonder that professional
promoters who have seen the drawing
power of professional base ball, and who
have been tremendously impressed by
the enormous crowds attending college
foot ball matches, anywhere from fifty
to eighty thousand people, see a possi-
bility of unlimited gate returns In pro-
fessional foot ball? They realize fully
the practical value of community ri
valry. and as in the beginning of the
old Canton-Massilon game, showed that
this rivalry could be turned into gate
receipts, they are now ready to capi-
talize it to a far greater extent. Most
of the colleges have come out fatty
against professional foot ball, and are
taking steps to prevent their foot ball
players, stars of the gridiron, from GO
ing out and later becoming parts of this
professional scheme. There is no doubt
but what they have control over
the men up to the time of graduation,
but what the effect will be of certain
regulations which are now being offered,
taking away a mans varsity letter If,
after graduation. he goes into profess
sional foot ball. is not alone a practical
question. but also an ethicakone. What
does that letter signify? 1t signifies that
the man while in college had played on
his varsity team in the big matches
If he did play on the varsity team, as
an amateur and perfectly eligible, the
fact of his playing professional foot
ball after graduation could not in any
way affect this fact itself, that he was
a letter man.
copyrighted. 1920.