IT is in no captions spirit of criticism' but with an earnest desire to further the welfare of the college, that we write the following words on our athletic record of last year. We have no desire to speak severely, for the records that our teams made during the year '83-'84 speak far more strongly than we could, or, indeed, have any wish to do. But there are certain facts which it would be well for us to examine in this connection. We have been defeated regularly in foot ball-as a matter of course-year after year, and last fall we underwent the same experience. In lacrosse we were soundly beaten by both Princeton and Yale, and took our place at the bottom of the list instead of at the top. On the Thames, our crews which began the year under as favorable suspicious as ever attended a crew, went to pieces at New London, barely won a race from Columbia's wretched crew and were beaten by Yale, Everyone knows how Yale in spite of several new men in the boat and a radically changed stroke, by houest and intelligent work, backed by honest enthusiasm, turned out a crew which won honor for their college and themselves. Comment is unnecessary. In baseball, with by far the best nine in the league, we gave the championship to our old enemy. It is true that our nine did very fine work, the finest for many a year, but became rattled at critical points and so lost some games, notably the one with Brown, which ought to have been won.

Truly, this is a disastrous record, and one for which we have just cause to be ashamed. It is behooves us to ask what it may be. So far as we know there are two reasons why we continually meet with defeat: first, that our teams are not so carefully managed or disciplined as they ought to be; secondly, that the miserable, half-hearted support the college gives the teams is so weak that it is really as much of a discouragement as an aid. In this great university of ours there is certainly as good or better material for athletic purposes than in any other student body in the land; the faulty lies in the manner in which this is managed or supported.

What, then, shall be done? The remedy in words, at least, is simple. The various teams, in view of the past, ought to make a far more careful study of their sports, do better and more intelligent work in practice, and strictly and honorably obey the training laws in both letter and spirit. If this be done and the college shows its appreciation-as it will-of the faithful work done, we shall have no more cause to complain of any disgraceful defeat falling on the college.

These remarks are especially applicable to football at the present time. If a more [careful study of the game is made, so that "head woke" can be used as well as muscle, and so that the team shall be as a unit, ready to meet any emergency that [may rise while playing-if, in other words, we play a "scientific game" -the result will be most favorable to our chances of final success.

But at any rate whether in these conclusions we be right or wrong, it is evident that something must be done and that very soon. Year by year Harvard has had phenomenal players -players who head the record lists and yet, as regularly as the sunrises, defeat has been our lot. There has been far too much brilliant individual playing and far too little strong team play, and it is good steady team play that brings success. What we want now is to win something. sometime, somewhere. the only thing we have to be grateful for during this last year is that there were no other championships that we could lose to Yale.