LEANDER AND AUSTRALIA.

Southland Times, Issue 17193, 12 November 1912, Page 10

LEANDER AND AUSTRALIA.

THROUGH AUSTRALIAN EYES. (From Our Own Correspondent). LONDON, October 2. An attack upon the sportsmanship of the Leander crew at Stockholm made by Mr Middleton, the coach of the Australian eight engaged in the Olympic Games has been transmitted to London by the Sydney correspondent of “The Daily Mail.” According to the "Mail” writer Mr Middleton declared that Leander were Jucky at Stockholm, the' Australians being beaten by two turns in the course involving the loss of a length and a half, and stated that under' level conditions the Australians would win nine limes out of ten. Leander were aware of this, and, therefore, refused to entertain the suggestion of a third race. Mr Middleton is further alleged to have stated that no Henley crew excepting Leander surpassed an ordinary Sydney maiden eight. He accused Leander of lack of sportsmanship in instigating the original arrangement whereby they would row only one race 'on the final day, whereas the Australians were allotted two rates. He complains also that Leandev did not congratulate the Australians at the termination of the Henley race, and contfasted this with the cordiality of the defeated Canadians on the same occasion and with the Australian cheers for Leander at Stockholm. He ridiculed the Leander men’s “swank," pink socks, turned up trousers, and affected speech, and declared that he would not retract any of these criticisms.

Commenting on Mr Middleton’s remarks the “Mail” point out that the Stockholm course had, beer, very carefully meausred by professional engineers on the ice, ar.d, according to their certificate. there was a difference between the two stations of eleven centimetres; that is, a matter of three or four inches only.

For the rest it was a common knowledge at the lime of the Henley race on Julv Sth, that the Leander men were by go means all as fit as could be desired, whereas the Sydney crew were at •'concert pitch”—so mud. so indeed that some of their warmest supporters were a little afraid that by the time they were required at Stockholm they would be a trifle on the stale side. After Henley the Leander crew certainly put in much harder work than the Australians, and unless reports then current were quite untrue, several of the Sydney crew had openly exprSssed their belief that the Englishmen had a good chance of turning the tables on them at Stockholm. As regards Mr Middleton's statement that Leander refused to entertain the idea of a third race oxer the Thames championship course because they feared defeat, the "Mail” considers this a very ungenerous statement, and points out that the Australian crew had come over to Europe on a trip, and a fc-w days more or less made no difference. The Leander men, for the 'most part, are engaged in business. They had already given up much lime to row at Henley and to represent their country in the Olympic Games, and it was impossible for the eight, at any rate, some members of it, to devote any more time to rowing then. As regards the accusation that Leandcr instigated the original arrangement whereby they would row only one race on the final day—whereas the Australians were alloted two —the fact is that Leander rowed two races on the final day, defeating Berlin and New College. Mr Middleton’s ridicule of Leander men’s ■ swank,” pink socks, courage, turned-up trousers and affected speech seems puerile As far as the socks are concerned, Mr Mido'le is not aware perhaps, that pink is the Leander colour. As for the speech and “.swank” part of Mr Middleton's indictment, the best that can be said is that the Leander crew was composed of ex-’Varsity oarsmen who spoke and behoved just in the ordinary fashion common 10 that class. Their speech and ways may not he pleasing to everybody, but at the same time they do not grate any worse on one's cars or feelings than the speech and manners of certain Antinodean athletes who have favoured the Old Country with their presence on various occasions. Mr Middletons remark to the effect that the average Heniey crew is only on a par with a Sydney "maiden" erfew may have solid foundation in fact. In that case Sydney is entitled 10 preen itself on the possession of a very line contingent of rowing men. If it is true that the Leander crew failed to congratulate their conquerors ai Henley that was certainly a most regrei table omission, but personally I should require an assurance other than Mr Middleton’s that Leander sinned in iliis direction. 1 heard certain people state that Sydney's Henley victory was

“coldly received.” If that were so I can only ask “What were the people cheering—Lean dor's dot oat ?