Note and Comment.

The following comment of Julian Hawthorne's recent piece, published in the "Century," is taken from the Herald:

To the current number of the "Century" magazine, Julian Hawthorne and Henry Eckford have contributed timely articles on the subject of rowing by the undergraduates of our American universities. One point upon which the two may be considered to agree, although there is considerable divergence of opinion between them in other matters, is the uselessness and absurdity of the college crews-maintaining the secrecy that they attempt to regarding their movements and performances prior to the time of the annual race. As one of these authorities says, if the young men were attempting to jockey the public, and, so to speak, inveigle innocent and unsuspecting betters into a confidence game, it would be all right for them to put forth what are, to say the least, misleading reports concerning their condition and chances of winning. If college races are to become hippodrome contests, then those engaged in them and their friends, are no doubt, under the questionable laws of sport, entitled to make out of them, financially, all that they can, and there is no reason why the tricks of the trade should then be ignored by college men any more than by other conscienceless sportsmen. But it is, and has been, assumed that these contests have been between gentlemen; that it was the honor of their university that they were seeking to advance in entering into them, and not that they were encounters gotten up for the purpose of filling the pockets, either of the oarsmen themselves or of their friends, with money obtained through fortunate wagers. Yet it is unquestionably the desire to influence bets that has led to this unnecessary secrecy prior to a race; for, as one of the "Century's" writers points out, if one crew can row better than the other crew, it is likely to win the race, even if every movement of its members is publicly scrutinized for a fortnight before the event comes off. There is certainly enough sharp trickery in professional sports and in business transactions, without adding to the sum total contribution that can be made by American colleges.