Things are looking bright down in the Newell boathouse these days as the first crew season under the guidance of Tom Bolles gets under way. While nothing too definite about the prospects of the eight can be determined until they have been out on the water for several weeks, the material which Coach Tom Bolles and Captain Eddie Bennett have to work with is certainly on a par with that of the last season's squad, which sank Yale on the Thames in June.

As the ears splash in the tank as boatload after boatload of prospective Varsity oarsmen work out, smiling Tom Bolles declines to commit himself in any way on who will be in that first boat that starts against Princeton towards the end of April, or, of more importance, of just who he thinks is going to win that race. But one impression is definitely gained in that boathouse: the crew that does wear the Crimson in that and succeeding races will have plenty of spirit, and they will represent the best that one of the country's best coaches can produce.

Bolles came to Harvard last fall with a remarkable record. It all started back in 1922 when he reported for the Washington Freshman crew, and since that time most of his life has revolved around rowing. As Freshman coach in the regime of Al Ublbrickson at Washington, Bolles lost only one race, and his last four crews were good enough to win the respective Poughkeepsie races they took part in.

In his competition this year he is going to be facing three of his former associates, for ever since Ed Leader brought a crackerjack Husky eight to Poughkeepsie in '22 there has been a constant demand for Washington men for coaches. Leader at Yale and Rusty Callow of Penn are both old Washington men, while Harison Sanford of Cornell was his classmate out there, graduating in '26.

The first race comes against Princeton on April 24 in the competition for the Compton Cup, and Harvard hasn't won a race against the Tigers since athletic relations were renewed between the two Colleges. Principal cause for this Tiger streak has been the fact that their crews get onto the water two weeks before Harvard, on the average. But there is no ice now on the Charles, and Bolles is holding his breath. If his crew can get out on the water within the next couple of weeks, and at present that seems very probable, chances of beating Princeton are excellent. If not, it is going to be another uphill struggle, for as Bolles himself says: "If we don't get out on the water until March 15th, the usual time for the breakup of the ice, we will have to make up for the difference in rowing time with a pile of inside work. To get out sooner would give us a better chance against Princeton.

All through the fall, Bolles spent his time working on the new form of rowing he has brought with him from the Far West. Involving numerous changes from the style that Whiteside-coached Crimson crews had rowed in years previous, some of Bolles' associates had anticipated that he would have quite a lot of trouble bringing this new technique to Harvard. The general impression was that his system was too tough to teach the boys in the East; but the difficulties did not materialize and apparently the men are thriving under the new system. As for Bolles, he won't admit that it is tougher; "the way we row now is more logical than any other way. As far as I can see, it's the easiest."

In trying to analyze why the Western crews with which he has been associated have been the best in the country during the past few years, Bolles does not think it's a matter of weight. "California has had some big crews," he agrees, "but year in and year out Cornell and Syracuse will be the heaviest. I think good crews just run in cycles. We have happened to have some good material out at Washington. Navy had its run, you remember, and so did Cornell. All you have to have is two lean Freshman years and then you're in for a tough time."

The matter of weight is not so important and Harvard's material this year gives promise of a Varsity crew that should be able to average between 175 and 180 pounds, and that's all Bolles wants. He feels that a crew coach needs a boat that will tip the scales in the high seventies, and more than that is by no means necessary. "The important thing is how you use your weight. I've seen some very great oarsmen who were under 170."

The personnel of this spring's boat is still pretty much up in the air, and seatings now are all dependent on the final test: how will they look when they get out on the water. One boat at present, a boat that is as near as one can get to the "number one" eight, is composed of the Varsity lettermen who have come back, with fillings-in where necessary from the last year's Jayvees. Jim Chace is stroking this outfit, and behind him are Johnny Austin, John Clark, John Gardiner, Doug Erickson, Bob Wolcott, Roger Cutler and Bill Haskins.

Another of the eights that Bolles is working on includes Henry Locke at stroke, with Bill Dearborn, Reg Kernan, Bob Watson, Tom Talbot, McVeigh, Buzz Hovey and Radway behind him. There are six other boatloads of Varsity material, including last year's undefeated Yardling crew which Bolles has not as yet broken up. Captain Bill Rowe stroked this eight, with Jim Tyson at 7, Bill Huenekens at 6, Dud Talbot at 5, Larry Johnson at 4, Dave Scull at 3, Dick Ninde at 2, and Bunny Burnes as bow man.

There will be no cuts until the crews have gotten onto the Charles. Bolles will row four Varsity crews until the Easter recess and three thereafter. The fifties will turn out to Bert Haines on Thursday, and Harvey Dave, whom Bolles brought with him from Washington to coach the Freshmen, has his squad working out in the tank on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays