As the Yale boating authorities are apparently averse to asking admission to the quadrangular race of next summer, the plan of sending a crew from New Haven to compete in the Henley regatta is a natural one. If developed with the success of past years, the Yale crew would probably be as representative as any that could be sent from any of the American colleges, and as such its contest with English college crews would be watched with very great interest by Americans generally. It is apparently hoped by the Yale authorities that the meeting of college crews from both sides of the water will lead the way in a subsequent year to a race with one of the two great English university crews. There is no question that if this could ever be brought about it would be an event of the greatest interest. Whether on the whole such an international race would be a desirable addition to the present list of intercollegiate athletic contests is a matter for consideration. Certainly the expense, no matter how quickly and eagerly loyal graduates and enthusiastic students would raise the money to defray it, is against the idea. Then, too, it may be questioned whether all the newspaper talk and excitement and the increased expenditure of time as well as money would not tend to bring discredit upon college athletics generally in the same way that the great football games are admitted to have done when not played on college grounds.

In itself, the desire to bring about a contest between English and American crews or other teams is natural and harmless. And if it could occasionally be done, say once in four years, there would probably be few objections. Any arrangement for more frequent contests we believe should be out of the question. By creating an abnormal interest, they would be sure to make athletics assume a position in college life, at least in America, entirely out of proportion to their real importance.