New-York tribune., 1922-10-22
First of the Fishermen's
Series Must Be Sailed
Over, Committee Rules,
as Boats Ignore Recall
Winner Threatens
To Quit, Is Rumor
Canadian Captain Willing
to ''Call 1t a Co.. but
Committee Is Adamant
By Frederick B. Edwards

By Frederick B. Edwards
GLOUCESTER, Mass, Oct. 21.---The
Henry Ford, of Gloucester, in weather
exceedingly we'll suited to her build
and trim, went out to-day and took the
first Of the three scheduled interna-
tional fishermen's races away from the
Canadian champion Bluenose. Of Lunen-
burg, N. S. Then the international
race committee went out and took the
race away from the Henry Ford.
On the play which says that the Ford,
which won by fifteen minutes, didn't
win because the race, which was sailed
over the indicated course inside the
required time limit, was not race at
all, Captain Angus Walters, of the
Bluenose, gets an assist. When Cap
tain Walters sent back word to the
committee that they should go and
jump off the dock, after coastguard
to the starting line, he gummed the
works completely. The race was actu-
ally the most technical tumble Of mis-
understandings and wrong moves which
any series has yet provided.
1t puts the fshermen's race in clasS
with the Americas Cup contests for
superiority of legal strategy. Only the
committee knew just how matters stood.
and most of the time the committee
was not sure about 1t.
After brief session with the inter-
national committee, the sailing com
mittee which was in charge of the
start issued this statement:
There is no official race, on account
of both the contestants having made
false starts" The document was
signed by all the members of the COM
mittee.
"Call 1t Race" Says Bluenose
Captain Walters was called before
the committee at this hearing, and
told them that although he was beaten
he was satisfied to call it race. The
officials insisted that the decision must
stand as made.
The unofficial time for the race,
clocked by observers at the finish.
shows this: Ford, 4:2e:23; Bluenose
4:42:04. This gives the Ford thir-
teen minIte lead over the Canadian
cup holder. The. elapsed time is
:2S;OS-barely half an hour inside
the time limit Of seven hours.
The figures plainly indicate the
lightness Of the wind, when it is re-
membered that the course was prac-
tically one long reach with no wind
ward work
At the Master Mariners Association.
where Secretary DENLY paid an in
formal visit to-day, the grizzled skin
pers sat and handed the latest in pre-
dlctlons and reports gravely from one
to another.
Threat to Quit Rumored
| 1t was said that Captain Clavton
Morrissey, who is stout and stanch
Gloucesterman, though he was born in
Lower East Pubnico, which is in Nova
Scotia, had fatty refused to accept the
committees ruling. "Get your tackle
! aboard, men," the captain is reported
as saying. Con Monday we go fishing
and they can do what they like with
their old race"
/ Captain Morrissey did not confirm
this statement, but he made no bones
of his disappointment at the decision.
Another good story while it lasted
was that the committee had decided to
reverse its decision. This was one OF
many tales turning upon the reported
activities of the officials. II has no
foundation, but it was reported to Cap
tain Angus Walters, who promptly an
nounced, according to the rumor, that
!. he would withdraw from the race If
the committee did any "shilly-shally-
| ing"
A dispute arose between Captain An
gus and Russell Smith, of Gloucester,
who was the official observer upon the
| Bluenose. Captain Walters is quoted
as saying that he did not see any sig
nal for postponement Of the start and
that when the patrol boat drew along
side it was Smith who refused to turn
! back.
J In rebuttal, Smith said that he had
no authority over the Bluenose cap
tain, who was sailing his own vessel.
The responsibility for the refusal to
return remains between the two.
To Recut Ford Sails
It did become known tonight with
authority, however, that the Ford's
suit of sails is still over the limit al
lowed by the deed of gift. H. r. Sill
yer, of Halifax, chairman of the trus-
tee committee, has entered an official
protest against the Ford's present
spread Of canvas, and her sails will
again have to be recut before Mon
days race.
| The official report Of Captain Akiah
Conrad, Of Lunenburg, observer fog the
Canadians on board the Henry Ford,
tells the ingenious tale Of how the Lu-
nenburg skipper put the Secretary of
the United States Navy in his place. 1t
| appears, according to Captain Conrad's
report, that at one period of the race,
| with the Ford out ahead and going up,
Secretary Denby, who was special
permission passenger on board the
Ford, expressed a desire to take her