Evening star., 1923-07-15

SS'SSfaNhSNS titSi$oi
Let us take the short-distance races
first. Here, the Leader stroke demon
strated its distinct superiority, and
convincingly confirmed it's non-ex-
hausting quality. At the same time
it was proved that 1t could be raised
for sprinting purposes. There have
been races at times in which the de-
feated crew or its partisans have felt
that If the race could be rowed over
again the result might be different.
But in the short distance events row.
ed by Yale this stroke, brought on
from the Pacific coast, was so con-
yincing that no matter what coaches
or crews might feel, the people be-
hind the management-those who
really determine in the long run
what shall be done-were pretty well
satisfied that the only thing that
would have reversed the decision
would have been to reverse the styles
of stroke.
Again Proves Worth.
When it came to the longer events
---three-mile and four-mile races
the same nom -exhausting and effec-
tive speed quality was again mani
Tested. Therefore rumors are flying
thick. and fast as to the delibera-
tions of inside councils at other uni
versities. Whether they point to the
selection of one man or another as
a coach is immaterial. They do point
definitely toward the demand among
quality to that of Yale and Washing
ton-at any rate in its results.
At Cambridge Harvard has been
making many changes in the last few
years in the rowing coaching system.
They have thrashed all over the lot
In the endeavor to secure some per-
manent satisfactory stroke that
should enable them to defeat Yale.
And yet in the evening after the
race this year they must have felt
that they were farther than ever
from solution.
While the comparison of time rows
had perhaps convinced the rowing au-
thorities at Cambridge, even including
Frank Miller. the head coach, that
their chances were very doubtful in
the varsity race, they had much con-
f1dence in their freshman crew, and a
measure of belief that their junior
varsity might win. All three races.
however pointed to just one fact.
That. was that pluck. power and
gameness could not avail against the
maSbine-like, nOn-exhausting stroke
which the three Yale crews pulled.
The further the race went the great
er the cap between the Yale and Har-
ward boats. Now 1t may be that there
are other strokes differing from the
Leader stroke that might defeat this
at present victorious method. but so
far as the rowing committees of the
colleges are concerned, 1t is doubtful
IL any of them believe that there is
anOtner man VINO can at the pEeSenl
writing teach such stroke.
Eyes Center on Leader.
Now, behind all this may be the
matters of interference, matters of
compromise, cases where 4 rowing
committee and the head coach have
each yielded to the other here and
there until the stroke is not one in
which either side believes. There may
have been friction. There may have
been a lack of material. There may
have been other conditions which
have interfered with success. Also
there may have been such a distinct
Improvement in boats that the shell
itself has very marked influence on
the result of the race.
We have number of excellent
rowing tutors scattered about the
colleges. but every rowing committee
today has its eyes pretty closely CEN
tered on the qualities of the Leader
stroke. Leader is tied up at Yale.
Callow will probably be pretty seri-
ously approached from many sides.
There is only one possibility that has
not been considered, and that lies
along the same line of originality as
was displayed in Yale's going out
to Washington and getting Leader.
That is the securing of Walter
Hoover and finding out whether what
he knows about sculling might be
applicable to eight-oared shell row.
ing. The idea certainly has origi-
nality and he is as great a student
of boats for sculling as any man in
sight. 1t will be remembered that
courtney was sculler first and
coach of eight-oared shell crews aft
erward. The same might be said
of Kennedy, who had a long run of
success in New Haven
Altogether, then, the stage is set
for some rather remarkable devel-
opments in the next few weeks, and
the people who have the hardest job
are members of the rowing commit
tees at several of the prominent in
stitutions
Copyright, 1923