Five years ago this autumn Mr. R. C. Lehmann came to coach the Harvard crew. For two years, '97 and '98, he was in charge. Since then I have had that pleasure.

To get at the beginning of the present general interest in rowing, we must go back several years before this period to the time when Mr. George W. Weld gave the boat house for the Weld Club, and Mr. W. S. Youngman persuaded many men to join the Club and to row, and finally succeeded in proving to the lofty ones at the University Boat House that there were other men in College who could row, thus greatly increasing the element of competition.

In the autumn of '96 this growing interest was greatly increased by the arrival of Mr. Lehmann. Mr. Lehmann had been for several years the coach of the Oxford University Crew, had been very successful, and was considered to be the best coach for eights in England, the home of good rowing. He came at the request of Captain Goodrich of the University crew, and with the approval of the Athletic Committee and the leading graduates interested in rowing, to help the Harvard crew out of the rut into which it had fallen. He was a man of great natural enthusiasm and charming manner, the College and the rowing men were delighted with him and went at the task with renewed hope and vigor.

To the enthusiasm then aroused and to the courage and foresight of Captains Goodrich, Perkins and Higginson, in changing the old system of lass races and preparation for the University crew is larpely due the present increased general interest and skill. The new boathouse given by the New York graduates has now been in use one year, and has contributed very greatly to the pleasure and attractiveness of rowing for many men.

Victories over Yale have not been plentiful, but there have been some, and several of the races have been close and interesting. It is in the greatly increased amount of general rowing and the improvement in the average standard of skill that the greatest change can be noted. That there has been an advance here no one will doubt who has been down to the river and followed the crews. Even this autumn, in the height of the football season, there were from twelve to fifteen crews out daily, while last spring there were twice that number, many of them being able to swing along at a very good pace.

The style taught by Mr. Lehmann was the same as that used before and since then, in theory and in a manner of applying the power. It differed in using a greater length of body swing, both forward and back; using a shorter slide and in several other less important details, all of which gave the crew when in motion a very different appearance from that to which we had been accustomed. All hands took hold with enthusiasm and the men apparently mastered the new style, so that by the end of May '97 the crew was going at a good pace. The three weeks previous to the race the crew spent at Poughkeepsie-on-the-Hudson, and during all that time fell off steadily in condition, so that when the race came they were quite unable to do themselves justice, and were badly beaten by both Cornell and Yale. Part of this was undoubtedly due to the harmful effect of the climate, while part may have come from overwork and inability to stand the strain of the very long body swing.

In '98 several of the most promising men left College to fight in the war against Spain, so that the crew as picked was not really a first-class one physically, and though in good condition, was again badly beaten at New London.

The results of these two years do not by any means prove that the style attempted was wrong. Nevertheless, it seemed safer in '99 to shorten the body swing a little, lengthen the slide, and seat the men lower in the boat, and the same style and rigging have been kept in 1900 and 1901.

In '99 the changes in the general plan of the spring rowing which had been made by Captain Goodrich and Perkins were carried still further by Captain Higginson. The old system of class races was abandoned, the Newell Club was formed, the men divided between the Weld and Newell, and the time for picking the University Crew squad deferred until about May 1, after there had been three sets of inter-class and inter-club races.

The same plan has been followed in 1900 and 1901, but it seems now that perhaps it may be changed somewhat to advantage before another season.

The '99 crew was a good one. There were good men in it, intelligent, and of the right spirit, and they learned to row well. They beat the Yale crew five lengths. The 1900 crew was a good crew too, better than the '99 crew. On Sunday Higginson, Captain and stroke broke his ankle. Harding went from two to stroke and after only three days' practice the crew rowed a beautiful race and were three-fourths of a length in the lead and still going away at the 3 1-4 miles, when Harding collapsed, knocked out by sunstroke. The race was rowed at 1.30 p.m., under a fierce sun and no wind. Harding had a slight sunstroke four years previously. He will always have what is known as a sensitive head, but apparently is otherwise none the worse for his experience.

The 1901 crew was a clumsy one; the men were strong and willing, but lacked finish. They were never able to get thoroughly well together, or to row the boat steady, and consequently never got the speed they should have had. Nevertheless, they were even with Yale at 3 3-4 miles and were beaten out at the finish only after a desperate race.

For three years there have been races between the 'Varsity substitutes in four-oar shells with coxswain and Harvard has won them all,--the first and last easily,--the second by about three lengths.

The outlook for next spring is for the largest number of men ever seen on the river, and the keenest competition for places. This should insure only good men reaching the top and these with proper leadership and coaching should be able to hold their own with Yale. What we want now are victories.

Before closing I wish to bring before you another matter, and to urge you to consider it carefully, namely, the length of the race. Should it be four miles or three? I am of opinion that it should be the latter.  EDW. C. STORROW.