"Hands across the sea" and the "British-American brotherbood," long since relegated to after-dinner speeches, are truisms which have suffered considerable damage through over-repetition. But the mere triteness of these phrases does not blind to their fundamental truth, when, as today, news comes of the continued athletic rapprochement of Oxford, and Harvard.

For many years, the two universities, the oldest in England and the oldest in America have been cordial contestants. Harvard crews and Oxford crews have repeatedly crossed the Atlantic. Harvard athletes have made distinguished records at Oxford. But perhaps the most constant rivalry, and that most looked forward to, has been in track.

The wide divergence in training methods has not settled the question of superiority: the higher nervous tension of the overtrained athlete seems to wipe out the margin of physical advantage. At all events, neither university can ever look forward with confidence to a certain victory, but each prepares soberly for a friendly bout. Harvard is glad that Oxford is sending her track team to the Stadium, and looks forward to next July. When the sister universities will pit their sons against each other in brotherly contest.