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To the Editors of the Daily Crimson:

Gentlemen:- My last letter, printed February 3, was fortunate enough to be noticed editorially. Regarding the statements made me by recent Harvard graduates, to use your language, "that the members of the crew are not chosen fairly or according to superiority of work," I am encouraged by your remark that "this is an insinuation which is entirely without foundation." It came to me not as "an insinuation" but as a very positive charge, and from a Harvard man who probably had nothing whatever to do with athletics personally. Thus you are in error in surmising the charge came from "some man who was very much disappointed at some time during his college course." However your assurance that the charge is without foundation disposes of it effectually, and I come back to the original theme.

If by "time" we mean the number of strokes per minute, it will be seen that we are now upon one of the most, if not the most, important subdivisions of our subject. Every stroke entails a certain amount of work. It is axiomatic that the crew covering the greatest distance in, say, 21 1-2 minutes, with the least outlay of strength will be likely to reach the finish first. Aiming then at the maximum result with the minimum exhaustion, the point somewhere between the two is to be sought for if a crew would be invincible.

It is certain that the pace of the sprinter would never answer for the long-distance man. Were the New

London course 500 feet long it might be possible to win with a stroke 60 per minute at full strength. But the course is not 500 feet, but 4 miles. The number per minute must be reduced or the crew will give out. The question is: how far reduced?

Assuming, for argument's sake, that neither Harvard nor Yale has solved the problem, let us see what the past few years have shown. First Yale beat us from 1886 to 1890. In these 5 years the average stroke was: Yale 35 1-2, 33, 34, 32, 34 1-2, or an average for the 5 years of 33.8. Harvard's average was: 37, 34, 37 1-2. 32, 36.3, or for the 5 years 35.4. Second, Harvard was victor in '82, '83 and '85. Our average stroke each year was 36 1-2, 36.6, 36.9, or for the 3 years 36.7. Yale's was 45. 25, 45, 1, 38.5, or for the 3 years 42.95. I think these figures need study. '74.