HARVARD IN SLUMP, FISHER TELLS "H" MEN

More than 100 members of the Varsity Club attended the tenth annual spring dinner held at the club last night, which was the occasion of an immense ovation for Dean Briggs, retiring Chairman of the Athletic Committee. When Mr. G. B. Morrison '93, president of the Varsity Club, presented him in behalf of the members a silver tray, the applause lasted for several minutes. The present was inscribed with the words, "Le-Baron Russell Briggs '75, from the Harvard Varsity Club in Appreciation of his Invaluable Service to Harvard and Intercollegiate Athletics."

Harvard and Yale Quits, Says Fisher

Coach R. T. Fisher '12, first speaker of the evening, discussed the broader aspects of athletics at Harvard. He pointed out that the record of the University since the war in major sports credits Harvard with 13 victories over Yale, and Yale with 13 victories over Harvard. With Princeton also the number of major sport games won and lost is tied. "We have to face the fact," he went on to say. "Harvard has been for some time in an athletic slump. We do not want to be satisfied with an average record, we want the majority of victories on our side. The question is, how to recover from this slump?

Graduate Inactivity a Reason for Eailure

The reasons for our failure are two. Perhaps the greatest fault is in the inactivity of the graduates in interesting boys in Harvard. I do not mean by that, Proselyting, but merely telling to them the merits of the college, and what they will gain by coming here. We do not want athletic parasites, but we want more men rooting for Harvard. We have bent over backwards to avoid proselyting, but we can at least stir up interest.

"The second reason for our failure to attract athletes and men with the right stuff in them is the difficulty men find in working their way through Harvard. The chances of a boy earning his board here are less than half what they were ten years ago."

Henry Speaks for Stevens

The captains of major sport teams were then called on to give accounts of the activities of their teams. In commenting on the recent defeat of the first crew by the Sophomore and third University eights, Captain Henry said he wanted to emphasize the fact that it was in no way the fault of the coaching they had received. "The crew is in good condition physically," he said, "and its only alibi lies in the fact that it has not yet mastered its new stroke. In the few weeks left before the race with Yale, a great deal may happen. Our early season failures are not due to lack of fight, or to the mistakes of the coach. We should give Yale a close run on June 20."

Captain Percy R. Creed of Trinity College, Cambridge, who was a guest of honor for the evening, spoke of the necessity of building up amicable international relationships through the medium of sports. "The future of civilization," he said, "depends on the help and cooperation of the English speaking people. Water Hines Page in his letters has said 'The ignorance of peoples about each other is beyond all belief." If this is true, it is necessary to remove that irgnorance, a task which cannot be accomplished solely through propaganda."

He went on to explain a plan whereby through sport competitions between New and Old England, the healthy influence could be extended to the working man. "It may not be a perfect cure," he said, "but if you can show me a better 'ole, I'll go with you to live in it!