In spite of the fact that Harvard has defeated Dartmouth and Dartmouth has defeated Army, the Crimson swimmers should have their closest contest of the season when they meet the Cadets at West Point today.

Bill Brooks' freshmen, however, will not have too much trouble with St. George's School in a 3 p.m. meet at Newport.

The reason for the potential closeness of the varsity contest is simply that Hal Ulen's Crimson will probably, for the first time this season, lose at least four of the ten events. Cadet Coach Gordon Chalmers lost middle-distance star Jack Craigie to the U.S. Army, and suddenly uncovered a man he calls "four times as good."

Chalmers struck gold simply by converting breaststroker Dexter Smith to a freestyler. He discovered he had a man who can do the 440 in the identical and phenomenal number of 4:40 flat, and who may be able to hand Harvard's Dave Hedberg his first defeat in the 220.

West Point Has 5-2 Record

Crimson sophomore Don Mulvey will have to worry about an Army backstroker named Pete Witteried, who is unbeaten to date and has broken the Academy record three times this season. The other potential Army winner is James Pfautz, who also has been slashing West Point records.

Chalmers would give his right water-wing for a first class sprinter, but it just isn't there. A good man in the short distances would make Army a considerably stronger threat in the East. The Cadets also have no divers in the class of Pete Dillingham.

The soldiers have defeated Brown, Fordham, Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Lehigh in the past weeks. They have lost to Dartmouth and have also made the mistake of engaging in a "contest" with Yale. But tonight's struggle should be Harvard's seventh straight win, and will be by all odds the Crimson's best competition except the Yale meet.

Local hockey hopes took a had jolt yesterday when doctors reported that sophomore center Dick Clasby had sustained a broken none and bruised chest in the Dartmouth game Wednesday, and would be sidelined indefinitely. The Crimson plays Army on West Point's Smith Rink at 2 p.m. today.

Clasby's loss comes at a particularly unfortunate time, just when the Crimson seemed at last to be out of its long slump. The varsity will still be heavily favored to beat the win-hungry Cadets. But unless Clasby can return--in shape--before the important League games which follow this last breather, the Crimson's championship chances will drop from slim to nonexistent.

Chase Teamed with Hubbard-Greeley

To replace Clasby, Coach Cooney Wel-land has put George Chase back on the Amory Hubbard-Walt Greeley line. The other forward combination will continue as before, with Bill Timpson centering for Nat Harris and Morgan Hatch.

Captain Dusty Burke and Bill Bilss will open on defense, with Brad Richardson --"much improved," according to Welland--in goal.

The unbeaten freshman team, meanwhile, will travel to Concord, N. H., to play the St. Paul's sextet this afternoon. Myles Huntington's Yardlings are seeking their ninth consecutive victory.