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Show tain the views of the leaning collegiate rowing authority In Rhgland, letters have been Sent ly the inanagemeut rf rowing at Harvard to both. Oxford and CambildgC. with regard to a challenge from Harvard id ca6 the erliiieon crow is successful ' again ' this year against Yale. GREAT CROWD WILL LINE THE THAMES SATURDAY London. April 2. Wretched weather during the earHer Weeks of the year and continual changes In the crews as a result of Illness have detracted somewhat from the interest In tho annual an-nual boat fa5e between Oxford and Cambridge,, to be rowed tomorrow over the Putney to Mort Lako course. Since the crews arrived at Putney, however, enthusiasm has heen revived, and the weather being favorable a great crowd will Line the Thames Saturday. . ' Thus far. Oxford has made' tho best time in practice, covering the full course on March 16 In the record time of 18 minutes. 21 seconds, the yh-pvI. ous record being 18 minntes, 47 seconds, sec-onds, made by Oxford in 1893, and equalled by Cambridge In 1900. The best time made by Cambridge In practice prac-tice was 19 minutes, 2 seconds, but this'was done on the occasion of their first trial. These times should have made Oxford the favorite in tho betting, bet-ting, but followers of rowing have great confidence in D. C. R Stuart, the Cambridge Btroke, -who has held the present position for three years In succession, and who stroked his crew to victory in the race against Harvard in 190G. The Cambridge crew, unlike the Oxford Ox-ford men, five of whom had their first lesson in rowing at Eton, come from various schools and it has been, therefore, there-fore, somewhat harder to get them to work; together. Oxford was even more unfortunate, the changes In her crew having to be made much later, and only within the .last year four weeks two new men had to bo put in the bow. There have been no training features fea-tures this year. The men of both crews have depended upon their work on tho river, combined with the simple life and fairly ordinary diet ' Cambridge, Mass., April 2. To ob- |