ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1806, 19 July 1913, Page 12

ROWING.

(By "Mercury.") WORLD'S RACE ON MONDAY. 'July 21.—World's Championship, E. Barry v. H. Pearce, Putney to Mortlake, Thames, England. Interest World-Wide. On Mondaj, over the' time-honoured championship course on old Father Thames, from Putney to Mortlake, is to bo scullod tho eagerly-awaited raco between the holder, Ernest Barry, of England, and tho challenger, Harry Pearce, of Australia, for the titlo af World's champion and <£500 a side. Intorest in the affair will bo world-wide. Whorover Englishmen or Australians have penetrated, no matter how far from civilisation, news of tho result will be awaiteil impatiently, for the issuo of this race is far more ojien than that of tho ArnstPearce meeting was held to be. To be sure, events proved that geueral opinion was wrong. Before that melancholy occasion the question most in tho mouths of tho general miUic was not eo muoh "Who

will -win?" as "How much will Arast beat him by?" Thia time the position is reversed. Barry's victory over tho redoubtablo Arnst lias raised liirn to a height in tho public estimation greater, perhaps, than the achievement warrants—good man and ail as ho undoubtedly is—for it is well known now that any really first-class' sculler could have beaten Arnst on tho day. However, there it is: Barry has beaten the "ono and only Dick," and as Arnst has beaten l'earce, so also will < Barry beat him. Reasoning thus, the I great British public—both the English and overseas section thereof—have in- I stalled Barry as prime favourite. English Criticism of Pearce. J Then, too, came tho English sporting t papers with their derogatory comment on 1 I'earce's stylo of sculling. Tho Australian, t could do nothing right—in short, as ho ; himself wrote out to Sydney, ho was s "beaten before he started training." This t strengthened public belief in Barry's i chances, but, in this respect at least, there < was a change pending when the last Eng- t lish mail left. Tho English critics (or 1 some of them) were beginning to realise that Pearce's methods were not necessarily I wrong—they were merely "different." Whether it is that Pearco was beginning ( to show better form as he acquired con- | dition, or whether it is that tho Homo | critics were beginning to understand his ( style better, one of course cannot say, but it is a fact that a slight doubt was be- j ginning to creep into the newspaper ar- , ticles. Thus tho "Sporting Life" recently j came out with a criticism of Pearce which ] really amounted to an urgent appeal to ( Barry to get into his topmost form if lie is going to win. < The Real Pearce. On thia" matter of style, "Rigger," the ( "Daily Telegraph" aquatic writer, and a t Sydney critic of some standing, says: ! "On tho mere question of style, tho , wonder is that, there were any critics , bold enough to condemn Pearce's worlc I at all. Some of the most-tried, experi- j enced, and reliable judges of sculling in j the world are located in Sydney, and all . of them class Pearce's work as beautiful. . Perfect rhythm characterises his every ! movement. His watermanship, too, is a byword with all who understand sculling. Some of the roughest days in Middle Harbour—and there are few who do not know ( what they are—have seen Pearce plough- , ing through the waves in his wager boat. It is possible, of course, that the Eng- , lish critics have been deceived in some ' parts of Pearce's work. It is easy to uit ' derstand them when they condemn him for 'shooting his slide.' 'Io the casual observer, Pearce certainly does appear to commit this offence; but if his critics would take the trouble to look closer they would be quickly undeceived. The ' 'catch' is tho whole secret of Pearce's im-' Movement during tho last twelve months. The only criticism levelled at him in recent years was that he dwelt too long at the 'catch,' and in endeavouring to rectify this defect ho has quite naturally fallen into the style of the famous Harry Searle. His sculls no sooner hit the water than ho is off like a rocket, and it;is this wonderful speed at the 'catch,' with a modified lift and a greater blending of the lift and drive, which deceives the stranger. "Perhaps the representative of tho London 'Sporting Life' has jealised what happens, and also that, on tho Thames, such work as Pearce's must be more effective than the heavier methods of Dick Arnst. On fast-running water, tho livelier sculler has a distinct advantage. Pearce's style should suit the River Thames." / Can Pearco Stay? To "Mercury's" mind, the whole issue of the race depends solely on how Pearce will bo affected by the extra mile of the English course. The question of speed need not concern us. Our worry is: "Can Pearcef stay the 4J miles in face of his reputation for tiring in a hard race?" Pearce is confident that he can. On tho other hand, Barry, so it is said, hopes to row Pearco down at Chiswick Eyot—approximately two miles. And there you are. Picking the Winner. If asked to make an out-and-out selection for -winner, the writer, in face of the doleful experience of last time, would say that the question will be answered in next Saturday's columns.