New-York tribune., 1922-03-26

ANON44 44lS5 NOl1 pOlNtllC,
That usually is in late February.
Early in March the paragraphs grow
into full-length advance stories of the
first big sporting event of the year
one that possibly is second only to the
Derby. 1t is the Oxford Cambridge
boat race, more usually known simply
as "The Boat Race There are other
contests between racing shells, but
"The Boat Race" could refer to moth
ing except this classic event, that has
been rowed annually since 1929, with
the exception of the war years be
tween 1914 and 1920.
Nobody knows irst why this race
should have distinguished itself above
all other forms Of inter-varsity sport.
1t just happened that way No more
can anybody tell why, on the late
March, or early April, day set for the
race each year, some half a million
people, not moro than an infnitesimal
portion Of whom could by any stretch
of the imagination even have PASSED
through the quadranglea of Oxford or
Cambridge as visitors, should line the
banks of the Thames, between Putney
and Mortlake 10 watch the rival
eights racing upstream.
QCcneHS
when one reflects that The four-mile
stretch of the Thames, over which tho
race is roWed, is as drab section of
the river as exists. There is romance
III the lower reaches, where great
steamships come and go, and there is
beauty on the narrow upper part,
where the Thames is just a little
country stream. But between Putney
and Mortlake there is nothing except
factories and open fields. which arc
most unkempt and untidy. But, then,
England likes TO infuse an element of
sadness in her pleasures.
No Marked Superiority
From the present form of the crews
one can form little opinion as to the
probable winner of this years race
! which Will be held on April /. Neither
40 past performances give much aid,
tor neither university has won a
marked superiority in the ninety threo
years since they first met at Henley.
coming down to recent years, Cana
bridge has carried away the laurels in
the two postwar races, having won bv
four lengths in 1920 and by one length
in 1921. Va
Last years contest was heart
breaker for Oxford; for although the
Dark Blue eight passed under Barnes
Bridge (half mile from Mortlake and
usually regarded as the crucial point
in the race ahead, they could not
keep up the pace, the Light Blues pass
ing them a o%arter of a mile further
on.
Th~ abb artists last year gave the
tT>-4uent changes in the personnel and
I order of rowing of the Oxford crew ss
the reason for their defeat This wear
the older university seems to be in &
better position, and in some of their
practice spins they already have come
perlously near the records set for nar-
tlcular portions of the course. Yes
terday, for instance, the reach from
Stone House Gete to the railway
bridge was accomplished in minutes
70 seconds, only four seconds slower
than the fastest known time.
Both Fights on Thames
This year Oxford was first on tho
Thames, the Cambridge crew REMAINING
at practice at Ely until early March
Both shells will contain about equal
proportions of veterans and new men.
oxford mastering five "Old Blues" and
Cambridge four.
The Cambridge boat will be decided
ly the heavier this year. and further
point in its favor is that the critics
this year repeat last years charge
against oxford-that GENERALLY the
blade work was uneven, and the oars
men lacked steadiness over the stretch
eer, also showing An inclination to
hurry forward"
1t is still too early, however, to judge
hnal form from the n actice workouts
On paper Cambridge seems to have
slight advantage, balanced bv the fact
that Oxford, owing to the defeats Of
the last two years, will certainly make
8, most strenuous effort to win this
time. 4''