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ANTI-RACING LEGISLATION PROVING COSTLY. American racehorse owners have made themselves popular in England by their good sportsmanship and the fact that their horses are out to win on every occasion. The American trainers also, equally are appreciated and nothing would please British sportsmen more than to see an American owner and trainer win the Derby. Joyner would receive applause from him many new found friends if he were to lead out a horse that could win the premier race of the world. This is not only my own feeling, but that of a number of British sportsmen, and the idea came into my head of expressing this opinion through meeting well known English racing men who are extolling the Americans good sportsmanship, both on British and French racecourses. The Frenchman, who is a true sportsman at heart, is delighted with the fair run ho always gets for his money when he buys a ticket on the Vanderbilt or other American horses. Of course, Richard Croker won the Derby some few years ago with Orby, but then, although ho lived most of his life in America, we look upon him practically as an Irishman, and I should like to see either Mr. Whitney, Mr. Keene, or Mr. Belmont lead in a Derby winner. Great things are expected from Shilling, the American jockey. I am told by persons who know him he will make Maher sit up. and as the latter is now topping the list of winning jockeys Shilling must be "some" rider. All I can say Is that among the sportsmen of Great Britain there is no such thing as jealousy. We like to see the best man win all the time at racing, boxing, or any other game, no matter what his nationality is, and that is, if I may say so, where I think wc lead the world in sport, for wo love sport first, and there is ncer a question of prejudice as to race or creed. We on the other side are benefiting greatly by cruel, vindictive laws which prevent the American public from enjoying one of the greatest sports in the world, that of racing. I believe practically every big stable in America Is being shifted oyer bodily either to England or France, along with jockeys, horses, trainers, stable lads, and chunks of tha owners dollar bills wherewith to pay the piper, and in many cases the owners and their families. Of course, this is all fine for us, but what about the effect on America? Even from the monetary point of view this must surely be a serious matter. I suppose the money these American owners and their followers will spend in Europe must run into millions of dollars. I wonder what your chancellor of the exchequer, or whatever you call him here, thinks of it. Personally, I regard the whole thing as a serious matter. It is an insult to the liberty of American people and also a heavy loss to storekeepers and traders of all kinds, for the racing community In any country spends ten times more money on everything, from clothes to hotel bills, than any other class of people. . Frequently I wish that it had been my privilege to see the racing you used to have here. I have seen some splendid photographs here and there of the American Derby, and it makes one long for that time to be revived. Incidentally it is surprising how many appreciative collectors of sporting pictures there are in Chicago. I have seen some capital collections, and the owners take such a pride in these race horse pictures that I wonder that they do not say more, but I suppose they are too busy making money. While in New York the writer was surrounded by racing men and naturally it called up the old love for the sport of kings. Opinion seems grcatlv divided as to whether racing will come back soon. I had several arguments on the subject and met a literary man who is a strong opponent of racing. My contention was that racing in the long run had a purifying effect on the community. To my mind the race course is a factor in life. It is one of the schools, just as the stage is. I contend that racing brings all classes together in the finest open air sport that exists. What race courses want is cleaning, not abolishing. Besides, what a tragedy to let horse breeding die out. As for the people who lose money racing well, if they did not lose it that way they would lose It another. Racing teaches a man to be astute and teaches him common sense. Marquis of Qucensbury in Chicago Tribune. .
