ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1563, 5 October 1912, Page 12

ROWING.

[Br "Mebouet."]

FAIR TO STONE LEANDER?

October 12—Opening Itowingr Season. October M—World's Cliampionship, Barry v. Durnan, Thames,

After Stockholm—Throwing Road Metal, According to the cables, Mr. W. Middleton, the coach of the Australian Olympic Kight, has given sore offenoe in England by his statements made on his return regarding the race at Stockholm, in which his crow were beaten by the Lcander combmation. The latest "Australasian" pub- , ti s i? n lnt *rviow with Mr, Middlcton at Melbourne, on his way homo to Sydney, in which some of the' statements objected to are embodied. The "Daily Mail," as per cable, states that Mt Middleton's claim that tin course- alone beat the Australians at btocknolm, is petulant and lacking ii sportsmanship, and goes on to say that it is ungenerous to state that the'Loandor crew refused to meet the visitors again because it feared defeat. Ihis latter suggestion is not touched upon in the "Australasian" article at all -and it must bo admitted that, if made, it certainly was not in the best of tastebut Mr. Middleton's' remarks about the Co 'm se nrc &' T * n prominence. 1.1.1 iT 01 ' is rc P OTtc( l to have said that, although not wishing to deprive th< Leander crew of a well-earned victorv he thinks that the Australians were a'f iected by the course, Lenmloi having n straight run in the last quarter of a mile while tho Australian boat had to maki two turns, first to go round the naval baths and then to straighten up again U. get under.an archway in the bridge. Still-Why not Say Something? . It is always hard to differentiate be tween explanations of, and excuses for a defeat, and as a rule it is best to accept the defeat without handing out any explanation. This present case, however, u rather exceptional. The event was such a big one, perhaps the most important amateur boat race on record, owing to its international aspect—and there was so ranch attached k it, apart from tho question of the actual Jl 1 "' t '^'''i ß ' ,vllcn the Australians beal the Lcander crew at Ilenlev before thi Stockholm event, it was looked upon abeing as much a triumph for tlio Australinn stylo of rowing as a victory for Ausbrawn and muscle. Tho issues involved were two, viz., ato whether tho Australians were actually better men, and as to whether the Australian styles was the better stvle. Of Hit two, the second issue is perhaps the mor< important. ..T'V.'V 1 is, quite likely that when Mr lUulcJleton advanced his explanation foi excuse maybe), it was as much in vindication df Ins crew's stylo as of the crew itself—an aspect of the matter which, as coach of the crew, ho would feel very k«e"i.r. about. Looked at in this light Mr. Middleton's remarks arc not so petit'<"»ami unsportsmanlike as the "Dailj Mail; avers, nor arc they ridiculous and remarkable, as characterised bv the "Pall Mall Gazette," as per cable. How Much it All Means. This difference of 6tyle' between thi English and Australian crews was the subject of a very heated controversy among the Homo experts at tho time of tht Royal Henley regatta, which saw tho latter crew win from leandcr over a straight-away course, and it is only reasonable to allow Mr. Middlcton to mention any extraneous causes that, in his opinion, may have accounted for the reversal of this result at Stockholm. • Tho Australian coach apparently sees no reason to doubt tho effectiveness of the Australian style. In the interview iindor notice ho is reported further as having said—in answer to a request for in opinion on the crews which ho saw in England—that Lcander was the onlv 3ii6 which appealed to him as a good one", iind even they failed in good body work. Many maiden crews in Australia would lompnro more than favourably with those it Henley,, and he expressed the opinion that a good crew sent to England would ivin every time. -. 'Ouite English You Know!"

He also said that the criticism's levelled at. the Australian crew from the beginning were rather amusing. At first'they were given no chanccj it was said that they had no body swing; that they used tooth-pick and buttor-pat" oars, etc Then people began to time tho crew and found that tho times were better than those of English crows. Eventually Leandcr reduced the size of their oars to tho same, or nearly tho same, as that of the Australians! After tho Henley win the crowd gave them a splendid reception, but the Austra'ians were disappointed at the attitude of the Leandcr men, who were apparently so surprised at their defeat that they forgot that congratulations would bo acceptable to a crew that had travelled 13,000 miles to race. Conservative Old Henley-The Bane of Foreign Rowers. ' Apropos of tho visit of the Australian and Canadian crews to Henley, English file? to hand show that a controversy is now roaring along as to tho advisability of al owing foreign entries to bo made "> t u 'l lre - II is contended on one hand that the practico is not a fair one as theso foreign entries are only forthcoming from time to time when special crews are available, and against these picked crews tho English representatives are asked to compete year in and year out, and at tho same time bear the brunt of tho regatta. .

But Why Not the Foreign Rowers? Fortunately this contention has its op ponents as well as its supporters. Writing on the subject ono prominent English authority says:— "There is still a small section of enthusiastic veteran oarsmen who would prefer to see-the racing at Henley Regatta confined to Homo crews, but even they must seo that now the regatta committee make strict regulations regarding the guaranteeing of the amateurism of wouM-bo competitors by properly constituted governing bodies, the risk of the admission of the-sham amateur is reduced to a minimum, and the chief objection removed. It iiia.v.l>e urged still that foreign, crews only come here when thc> have a first-rate chance of success, while certain English clubs enter regularly, as a matter of course, for the chief events, but this enthusiastic support at Henley is only confined to n few clubs, mainly metropolitan, and there are others which do exactly as foreign crows arc stated to -enter only when they think they have a good sporting chance. "But if we turn to the real olFect on rowing generally of foreign entries at Henley, it must bo acknowledged that it is distinctly beneficient.both to the visitors and Home crews, and that any little unpleasantness which has arisen 'in the »ast is more than counterbalanced bv the general good fellowship and mutual understanding which is. the ideal of the Olympic games, but is attained' in an exceptional degree by international racing at Henley. "Tf at times our crews are well beaten by visitors there is a blow (o English prestige in rowing, but it lakes us out of our groove, and makes us realise that nowadays our clubs cannot live on the past reputation, but must, bo striving towards the altaininent of the higTiest standard in rowing." The Bayfield Circular. Thus "Nautilus," the "ttefereo's" annaHe expert, on a matter that has been discussed, at some length in this column of late. ."Mr. Balfiold, hon. sec. N.Z.A.H.A., is circularising the dubs throughout the Uommion, asking for n return of the number of their members who though rowing as nmalenrs have broken their status in other sports. "The idea, of plncinij Now Zealnnd on the same level of amateurism as AufHra-' Ihi and the old World is one well worth v oi. support, and should meet with sue cess. I