The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-25
AMERICAN LEADS OXFORD'S CREW TO BIG VICTORY
First Time in History Univer. sity Had Yankee
 Stroke

LONDON, March 24.-Pulled down the grueling four mile course to the stroke of an Aemrican accent-an 'attaboy," lets go" accent-Oxfords 1 eight won the seventyfifth annual race with the Cambridge crew on the Thames today.
 For the first time in history, the stroke of the Oxford crew this year was an American-W. P. Mellen. who l prepped at MiddleseX in Massa chusetts and came to Oxford for his four-year university training. A heavy morning fog and threat ening skies, which for time cast | gloom over the great annual shell struggle, lifted before the crews came out for their final warm-up and the race was run under almost perfect conditions.
 l Oxford won the toss and chose the Surrey side of the river. considered the better side of the course. The l fact that the Thames was as calm as a pasture pond aided the Oxford | eight. whose shell was very shallow and delicate.
 Oxford shot into the lead at the l outset and was. never headed. At the mile Oxford led by a quarter of | a length. At the two-mile she was half a length ahead. By the time the three mile post was reached the crew. working in perfect unison un der of the stroke of Mellen, had gained lead of two lengths. It looked like a runaway.
 Coming down the fourth mile, however, the Cambridge stroke raised the beat and rallied his crew for a shell creeped up by inches on it's rival, half closing the gap between the two shells. As the line was crossed. however. Oxford had retained a full length lead and victory.
 supremeIy Confident.
 Oxfordd is the erudite institution that for generations has been turn ing out members of the English gov erning and literary classes, classic in their diction. dignified in their mien. | Hence. it was something of shock to many to hear Mellen, before the race, say If they offer you odds on Cambridge. take 'em. Any talk you l hear about Cambridge being due for a walk-away is bunk-just bunk" And then to bevy of English flap pers hunting autographs, he said with smile. Don't worry, we're go ing to win all right"
 Mellen, somewhere in his twenties is regular American. He comes honestly to his place in the Oxford crew, for his father, Chase Mellon of New York, stroked the Oxford fresh | IiiSH louI DdCh III oi- OunE Mel len himself stroked the freshman four last year against Trinity college and won the same cup which his father had held S6 years before. l Good looking, wearing a broad | smile and with more pep than is usually shown in these parts, he is I equally popular with the, men in the boat and the flappers who thronged out to watch during the days of prac- tice and finally to cheer the race itself.
 Kane, the other American on the | Oxfordd crew, rowed two years at Harvard and played three years of football before coming to England. His home is in Newport. R. l.
 The influx of Americans seeking education at Oxford has destroy ed the old exclusiveness of an Oxford boat crew. In days gone by it was unquestioned, almost invariable rule. that the varsity oarsmen came from Eton or Harrow. or possibly Radley. I which was recognized because of it's l prominence as river school"