Year: 1875

THE POSITION OF THE MEN OF YALE AND HAIR


WARD TO THE ROWING ASSOCIATION OF AMER
IcAN COLLEGES.


To THE EDITOR OF rnR HERALD


The actual withdrawal Of Yale from the Rowing Asso
citation OF American Colleges and the threatened with
drawa Of Harvard to have aroused an actual
citement among American alumni. Much has been
written regarding the probable action OF Harvard but
very little appears to from Harvard men, The
voice OF indignation is heard the land but not the
voice Of explanation and but rarely the voice of APP
proval Too much has surely been placed on the
trivial side OF the matter For instance Mr. Nicol or
Princeton can say nothing stronger than that in his
opinion Harvard would show lack Of courtesy in with
drawing from association OF which il was member
when challenge was sent to the English Universities.


Now, Il would be difficult to demonstrate the dscour-
tesy OF such a course when il is matter Of common
report that Harvard withdraws for the that
does not approve OF the which the crews OF
one or two Of the colleges recruited year. and


II objects also 70 other matters in the management of
tne association Harvard occupies toward the
ton the same position that member OF an ordinary
city Cub does toward the latter organization and Har-
Vau can resign It's membership precisely the club


nay II be has for dissatisfaction Nor is Harvard


accountable than he the public for the course
he takes, except that persons are interested in
the proceedings Of body ike the Harvard Rowing Club
than would be likely to be in the action individual
under similar circumstances. Indeed, the right OF
harvard's Withdrawing has hardly been challenged.
The facts as they currently reported are that the
crew Harvard will be able TO show next summer is be-


oW se average IN lacl an unusually weak one IL is
not likey-though II Is under the circumstances,
peculiarly regretable-that Harvard will prove
to have chance worth considering against
the English crew. II she should remain
the association she would be obliged to fur


sh two crews-one for the sx-oar without a cox


~ain, and another for the with Yale an eighoar
with coxswain-for the style OF rowing and prac-
ucing required IN an eightoar, with coxswan is so
entirely dinerent from that required by coxswanless
SIX oar that the could succeed in train
ing for both simultaneously. Allowing that Harvard
win IN a probability be loser in the University
races next summer what reason can be shown why
she should not rather withdraw than to wait till
she has suffered another defeat? Why all the other
colleges should howl at taking the opportunity TO re-
TIRE from the association at such time Is obvious.
Harvard has never a during her member
/ snip OF the association. Supposng IL had won last
summers, could II retire with as good grace in the
eyes OF Its present vltuperators does now Yale
entered the association under protest, protested
throughout It's membership, and has very properly
Withdrawn from organization the expediency Of
which, so far as Itself and Harvard concerned il
never approved The error which Harvard
mitted in advocating the formation of such
an organization has OF late been appar-
ent TO itself and the bunder was in
no way essencd by the strength of its advocacy its
incipency II soon appeared that at distant day
such space the Atlantic would become necessary TO
accommodate the vast numbers Of the of the
collected colleges OF country. The increased dif.
Guilty In rowing IN the company Of such huge collections
oi SIX cared Shells the scantness OF training
modaton engendered by the presence of many
rowcrs soon showed out glarngy and OF course should
have been foreSeen but unfortunately not were
not sufficiently Needed. Then too the rank Of many
OF the colleges s such that Harvard is placed In tho
position OF big man fighting little one-small glory
can bo gained by victory but much oboquy by defeat
Every Harvard and Yale mans heart will tell him that
they are each others proper emuators and, though
they quarrel sometimes, they are each others best
friends at bottom, and can gain little, if indeed they
90 not sacrifice much by losing their identity among
the mass OF other American colleges.


NEW YORK. Dec 2S 1875. HARvARDIANUS.