VALE ALUMNI wHEKLY
CORNELL AND YALE.
Story of the Negotiations and
Conference.
Last June Yale, contrary to her cus-
tom, left New London and rowed at
Poughkeepsie, where she was beaten by
Cornell. This year Yale challenged
‘Cornell for a race at, New London.
Cornell said she would race Yale at
New London next June, if Yale would
- race her the following year at such time
and place as Cornell would name. Yale
replied that she had desired very much
to race Cornell next June at New
London, and still desired to do so, but
that she could not agree to race the
following year when and where Cornell
should please. This is the substance
of the official communication between
Ithaca and New Haven of the last six
or eight weeks. The situation has been
a rather peculiar one, but most pleas-
antly free from all disagreeable features. —
In its development it has shown quite
clearly one or two important things
about Yale athletics. It is therefore
worth while to give the history of the
case quite fully.
THE YALE CHALLENGE.
The original challenge of Yale to
Cornell was as follows:
F. D. Colson, Captain of the Cornell Uni-
versity Crew.
DEAR Sir: The Yale University Boat
Club hereby challenges the Cornell
University Boat Club to row a four-
mile, eight-oared boat race at New Lon-
don, Conn. The race to be rowed one
week to ten days after our annual race
with Harvard next June. It would be
agreeable to us to have you join our
dual contest with Harvard and make ‘it
a triangular one, if satisfactory to them.
PAYNE WHITNEY, :
Captain of the Yale University Crew.
New Haven, Nov. 24, 1897.
CORNELL’S ANSWER.
A little over a week ago Cornell
made the following answer to Yale’s
challenge:
Payne Whitney, Captain of the Yale Uni-
versity Crew.
DEAR SiR: I am instructed to com-
municate to you the following action of
the Athletic Council regarding your
proposition for a boat race. The Cor-
- nell navy accepts the proposition of the
Yale University Boat Club for a four-
mile, eight-oared race the coming sea-
son at the place and time named by
Yale, provided Cornell be allowed in
return to name the place and time of a
similar race for next year. Cornell ex-
presses, furthermore, her acceptance of
Yale’s suggestion to merge the race
of this year, Harvard willing, in a tri-
angular race with Harvard.
FREDERICK D. CoLson,
Captain of the Cornell University Crew.
YALE’S REPLY.
New Haven, Jan. 13.
Capt. F. D. Colson, Cornell University
Crew, Ithaca, N.Y.
Dear Str: It has been and is our
earnest desire that Cornell accept our
invitation to row at New London this
year, and we regret that in your reply
ofthe 11th inst. a condition is imposed
which we are unable to accept.
(Signed) Payne WHITNEY,
Captain of the Yale University Crew.
This is all the correspondence in the
matter, and as far as Yale is concerned
it is the complete official record in the
case. Cornell has made some state-
ments through its athletic committee,
setting forth some considerations deem-
ed by that University necessary for a
proper understanding-of the subject.
This statement follows:
PROF. WHEELER’S STATEMENT.
“On the receipt of Yale’s communi-
cation of Nov. 24, a meeting of the Cor-
nell Council was held immediately after
the Thanksgiving recess and a proper
acknowledgment sent, stating that the
Cornell navy would ‘have great pleas-
ure in acepting the proposition, pro-
vided such arrangements of place and
time are made as will insure a fair
and complete test, and will enable us
also to satisfy the just claims of other
competitors who have met us in former
years, and may now wish to meet us
again.’ Cornell hoped the matter might
be brought to an easy settlement by
conference, and suggested it.
“Tt has not been found so easy as was
expected to procure a conference with
the really responsible parties at Yale.
With Harvard the situation has been
fully and frankly discussed. Cornell’s
position was a difficult one. She de-
sired to ‘give satisfaction’ to all former
competitors if it could be done without
unreasonable inconvenience. Rowing
three races was out of the question.
Rowing two races in two. different
places was to be avoided. It is not
generally expected in sport that the
party having the larger obligation
should have the greater inconvenience.
Cornell, as her acknowledgment of
Yale’s communication showed, was con-
cerned about two things: First, a place
for a fair and complete test; second, an
arrangement whereby she could meet
all competitors.
“In order to see what arrangements
were possible for the race with other
competitors a representative of Cornell
visited Pennsylvania and Columbia.
Pennsylvania was averse to New Lon-
don; in fact, to any plan which made her
race with Cornell an event of secondary
importance. She urged Cornell to pro-
claim an open regatta. She admitted
that Cornell’s convenience ought to be
consulted this year and said that as a
‘last resort she would row where Cor-
nell appointed, but not contentedly.
Columbia said she would trust Cornell
to do what was fair and should meet
Cornell at a place convenient to Cor-
nell. She did not, however, think New
London likely to prove a good course
for three crews.
“When, on Dec. 24, word was re-
ceived from Harvard that she would
take the risk of New London’s course
being proper for three crews without
further investigation, an assurance
which up to that time Cornell had not
received from Harvard, the matter was
ready for settlement. It was then the
Christmas recess. At the first meeting
aiter the recess complete and final ac-
tion was taken. This action will, it is
believed, be satisfactory to all parties.
It is certainly fair. If Yale names the
place this year, she could not do less
than allow Cornell to name it next year.
Harvard asks no privilege of naming
this year. There is hence no need of
any proviso in accepting her challenge..
“Yale‘s suggestion of a willingness
to merge her race of this year into a
triangular one is also accepted, once
the race is agreed upon. Cornell asks
to name the place of the Yale-Cornell
race next year. She,* of. course, does
not hereby put any pressure upon Har-
vard, whose convenience would natur-
ally have to be considered if another tri-
angular race were desired.
“After closing up this matter, Cor-
nell, in a separate communication, sug-
gests to Yale, as well as to the three
other rowing wmniversities, a more or
less formal association for the arrange-
ment of dates and races in general.
This communication does not require
an open regatta by any means.
“It may be a, step toward the meet-
ing remotely like an ‘American Henley.’
There is no reason why intercollegiate
rowing should not be diversified more
than it is. There is a limit to the num-
ber of eight-oared races in a single
year.
“Why not widen the scope of rowing
bv introducing other forms such as
four-oars and singles. This will afford
the opportunity for more men to parti-
cipate and more combinations between
colleges to be made. In making the
suggestion Cornell has no other motive
than to advance the interests of free
amateurship.”
THE CONFERENCE.
Between Yale’s challenge and Cor-
nell’s reply, at Cornell’s request, a
conference of the Cornell, Harvard and
Yale captains was held at Albany. In
this conference all points at issue were
carefully and frankly discussed. One
of the first questions raised by Mr.
Colson of Cornell was the extent of
authority vested in the captains by
their respective colleges. Mr. Colson
_cil’s further action.
himself said he had no authority to act.
Mr. Goodrich of Harvard said that he
had practically complete authority to
act for his University, while Mr. Whit-
ney of Yale added that, according to
the custom at Yale, he was vested with
full power, thus removing any criti-
cism that difficulty was found in meet-
ing responsible parties from Yale.
Naturally, the question of courses
came up for discussion, and the selection
of Poughkeepsie for another year was
given full consideration. Mr. Whitney
reiterated Yale’s attitude towards that
course and her determination to use
all means to avoid rowing there a
second time, because of its unfitness
for practice work, as admitted by all
crews who have been there. This was
especially brought out, and on this
point Mr. Colson said that Cornell did
her practice before going to Pough-
keepsie. It is well understood that it
is impossible for either Harvard or
Yale to row on any course where they
are prevented from practice after leav-
ing Cambridge and New Haven.
The conciseness of Yale’s reply to
Cornell’s qualified acceptance led a rep-
resentative of the: WEEKLY to ask Mr.
Whitney if he had made clear Yale’s
position as to binding herself for suc-
ceeding years. He said he had made
himself absolutely unmistakable on this
point, so that there could be no mis-
understanding. He expressed himself
as surprised that no notice was taken
of this statement in the Cornell Coun-
As he had pre-
sumed that the object of. the confer-
ence was to clear up such points, he
had declared explicitly that Yale’s ath-
letic arrangements in general, and her
boating policy in particular, made it
impossible for him to consider, in ar-
ranging for this year’s race, any con-
ditions for future races. In his tele-
graphic reply to Cornell he had as-
sumed that this point was understood
at Ithaca.
CORNELL AND HARVARD.
During the pending negotiations be-
tween Cornell and Yale, the following
correspondence has passed between
Harvard and Cornell.
HARVARD’S CHALLENGE.
Capt. F. D. Colson, Cornell University
Boat Club.
DEAR Str: The Harvard University
Boat Club hereby challenges the Cor-
nell University Boat Club to row a
four-mile race this next Spring at such
a time and at such a place as may be
convenient and agreeable to both crews.
Davip Marion GOODRICH,
Captain THU Ba.
Dec. 16, 1897. ,
CORNELL’S ACCEPTANCE.
Capt. D. M. Goodrich, Harvard Univer-
sity Boat Club.
DEAR Stir: The Cornell navy accepts
the challenge of the Harvard University
Boat Club for a four-mile race the com-
ing season, at such time and place as
may be convenient to both crews.
FREDERICK D. CoLson,
Captain of the Cornell University Crew.
The following is Cornell’s letter to
Yale suggesting a rowing Association:
Payne Whitney, Captain of the Yale Uni-
versity Crew.
Dear Sir: After accenting the pro-
position of the Yale University Boat
Club for a race on the terms proposed
by Yale, the Cornell navy wishes to ex-
press its own preference in general for
an open regatta, controlled by the five
universities usually participating in row-
ing. Such a regatta Cornell always
stands ready to enter. If it is impossi-
ble to organize such a regatta, Cornell
still believes that, in view of the compli-
cations which are arising from the
difficulty of arranging races and dates
among these five universities, it would
be advantageous for all and beneficial
to college rowing if a rowing associa-
tion representing the five should be
formed. :
Such an association could at least, by
the convenience of conference it would
afford, facilitate the task of arranging
places and dates in case two eight-oared
races are rowed, and could also aid in
broadening the scope of rowing com-
petition by introducing, for instance,
BETTER DROP IN.
Really, it’s an unusual chance to get
good things for a little money.
Some of our best ties are marked
at one dollar, and the same
figure is put on shirts that used
to sell for from two to three
times that sum. We don’t like
to do it, of course. We would
rather have our regular prices.
But, to speak frankly, we have
more goods than we want in
various lines, and we do the
only possible thing under the
circumstances,
CHASE & CO.,
NEW HAVEN HOUSE BLOCK.
FRANK A. CORBIN,
TAILOR
TO UTHE ~
STUDENTS OF YALE
AND TO THE
GRADUATES
in all parts of the country.
a
Address:
14000 Chapel Street,
New Haven, Conn.
rowing in four oars, pairs, or singles,
and perhaps with combinations of col-
leges other than those heretofore made.
We, therefore, invite Yale to become
a member of such an association, and
we shall at the same time extend a like
invitation to Harvard, Pennsylvania and
Columbia. I send you the above
memorandum of the action of the
Athletic Council, as well as that con-
tained in my other letter of the same
date, feeling the assurance that they
will offer so satisfactory a solution of
the problem confronting us all that a
conference such as I was expected to
call may not be necessary except for
matters of detail.
. FREDERICK D. CoLson,
Acting under authority of Cornell
Athletic Council.
Crew Candidates,
The candidates for the University
crew will begin training next week
under the supervision of Mr. R. J.
Cook. Work will be confined to in-
struction in the tank and the customary
runs, until the harbor is available.
Full-grown Men
SUL IKES-
THE SUN.
It’s Prom. week-KNOX HATS EVERYWHERE
