Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-05
lack KELLY WILL
ROW IN 0LyMP|CS
Famous oarsman Wants to Beat
Diamond SOULS Winner.
Rejected by England s.
By spICK HALL

IN,
J1mm n,mn champion and foremost all
su,,,aps oarsman. will compete In the
f,;c fou,u games at Antwerp. Belgium.
vNi"'o not intended entering the
nd,rS,r;cs darn % hut something happened and
uI" lannon's yesper Boat clubman
the I'll lis mind. The occurrence
cn,nk cnanS caused lack to reconsider was
WY WY" notice from the American Row
priv ,ssociation telling him that his
ns lux. In The Diamond Sculls race OF the
sIn.ii;sb sn.ii Henley. to be rowed on the
Thsnocs Tns rIycr June 30 to July 3. had
tosn rejected by the Henley regatta
stewards. ..,
Tho news of the rejection of Jack
voiiy.s entry in Great Britain's row.
NV mc'T c,a ssic spread quickly along boat
hn,so LUZ row and caused not only bitter
ssII.uonrointment sIu' among his followers,
L" wore certain that he would win,
s,t wv considerable indignation and criti-
cism I of the English stewards.
Not the First ..
"Jt's a strange thing the way the
.,owards over there have of rejecting
,n,or;can oarsmen. Take the case OF
rd Ten Eyck, son of Jim Ten Eyck.
Ed went over and took part in the
Diamond Sculls once and won with
sose Although he was just a little
over eighteen years old at the time, there
was a lot Of talk in England about
his being a professional. OF course. ut
his age that was absurd. His father
was u professional, but that had moth
inr to do with Ed. Nevertheless, the
fact remains that Ed never rowed in the
Diamond Sculls again, and 1t was said
Al the time that he had been tipped not
to enter again, because his entry would
not be accepted The English stewards
have a rule that any man who has done
manual labor cannot row, but IL is a
fact that Blackstaff. who rowed under
the British colors in many races, was
huckster on the streets of London.
II don't believe that the old trouble
that arose between the British stewards
and the vesper Club IN 1907 has any
thing to do with it. That was too far
back. Jack Kelly probably would have
won this year. and that may have had
something to do with 1t, you never can
tell.
The above view is that taken by Walter
r. Berry. life member of the Nesper
Boat Club and member of Nesper' s
famous eight that won many champion :.
shps. including the American and
Canadian in the late eighties. ~.'
William Hanson, recognized as the
greatest sweep oarsman that ever rowed
on the Schuylkill, also wz1 very much
surprised to learn that Jack Kelly had
been rejected by the English stewards.
"0h Rill." who rowed under the colors
of lonia in the early nineties and who
Is now an active member of the Ger
hardt A. c.. had this to say: 1T looks
queer to me that the English stewards
should turn down Jack Kelly's entry,
when he has been passed by the Amerit
can Rowing Association. He is the fast
est amateur sculler in America. and
think he would have won. nands down,
on the Thames. Maybe they looked ur
bis record and found how fast he could
row. Yes. / think that's about what
they did"
What Hoffman Says
Harry Hoffman, we'll known in Phila :
delphia rowing circles as the man who
took the Nesppr crew across and won
N with il in 1902. gives this explanation
IN The only possible explanation to my
Nmind is that some mistake has been
{pade in sending Kelly's entry. To make
"a proper entry for the English Henley
Ysa troublesome ordeal. A whole flock
n afidavits have to be taken regarding
| lhe entrants amateur status. and then
has to receive the sanction Of the
National Association Of Amateur Oars
Insn Of America.
IN in England only those known as
sentlcmen,' in other words. those
Without an occupation. arc eligible, but
do not believe that condition has anv =
thing to do with Kelly's rejection. His
record is so clean that there can be nc
Question of his eligibility. and neither
DO | believe that there is anything in
nus connection with the Nesper Chrt
that could affect his standing in the
eyes OF the English stewards, for thu
last trouble was a family affair, and Sil
Joseph Lawrence, partner Of Sil
Thomas Lipton, and member of Par
Lament, gave me his assurances thai
England would be glad to see another
'esper crew come over"
Taboos Old Trouble
of course. Jack was very much dis
appointed when he heard the news
had no idea that l would be re.
,eVed, he said. II have been workin,
get in shape and l have done It
tesetday l took time test Owe
tm m 'rnley course on the Schuyl.
s.n anu made it ten seconds under
rccru, lt is great blow to me. but
az that ] may be able to get n cracE
a. tae winner of the Diamond SculIs
~ tns olympics, and I surely am coins
10 enter that now. eNe
Mo rknow that there was a lot of trou
We over an expense account of tn,
rtsPer oarsmen who went to til,
rinsIlsh Henley in 1902. but | had bee,
tio tMnen TO understand that this had al
T,VSn mUst over. And I think it had. Ther,
mGst be something else behind thei
rejection of my entry"