Advocates Federal Aid for Racing, Daily Racing Form, 1914-12-09

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ADVOCATES FEDERAL AID FOR RACING. From time to time it has lieen set forth that t!ns Iulted States army is in a bad way when it eom-.v-s to cavalry remounts and horses of every description. It has also been shown that the thoroughbred Is the best sire to furnish the needed horses and that racing i essential to continue the breeding of the thoroughbred. In thin connection it Is or iuteiest to quote Brig. Geu. 13. A. Garliugtcn, inspector general of the Inlted States army, who lias said: "There is -it present a great scarcity of fine horses for cavalry service. Tile ban on horse racing forced a good niuiiy breeders out of the business. All horses bred for ra-lug do not turn out to be race horses, and these horses, iu most cases splendid auimals, went fo work for men under the saddle. When the thoroughbred and standard-bred are blended the most useful horse in the world Is produced. The war is going to make a drain on the American horse market. The horse losses of the German and Austrian armies and of the Anglo-Freuch-Uussian allies have f no doubt been stupendous from overwork alone. These losses must be made up. An Idea of thi I use of hordes may le gained from the fact that England in the first call for horses took 74,000 for artillery and 55.000 for cavalry." Colonel W. 17. Wilder, commanding Fort Myer. Ve cently sent this message to Lieutenant Colonel Lan-dls: "It Is greatly to be lamented that racing in tills country received such a terrible blow, as the thoroughbred Is the best type of cavalry horse ,ve have, and the fact that racing was discontinued forded owuers to ship their best mures abroad; and the breeding of these splendid animals has been to a great extent stopped." There could be no better evidence of the value of the thoroughbred as a national asset to the army than the opinions of such authoritative officials. While they are not advocating the sport of horso racing, they know tiiat it is only through contests of endurance and speed that the better qualities of the horse can be gauged. Without contention no one would know whether a horse possessed tli necessary qualities for improving the breed or not. Uaciug is entitled to Federal consideration in this country, the same as in all European countries. South America, Australia. New Zealand, and even far-off Kussia. The thoroughbred today is sought iu all the countries In the world,, and the best horses bring the greater prices. For - economic, reasons, if for nothing else, the subject of horse breeding should be discussed with a liberality of mind and spirit. Everything should be done to raise the best horses In the world in this country. It can be done if breeders and those who wish to improve the breed of horses ate not harassed by laws suggested by men hud even by women who, for selfish interests, have clogged the wheels of ...progress in. a line- jf industry which, today, had it not been suddenly overthrown, would have enriched this country to the extent of millions of dollars. Bv all means the breeding of racehorses should be encouraged. They are the foudatlon of the horse that is heeded for the protection of this country. Thev are the desirable horses all over the world. The" American market has provided in the neighborhood of 150.000 army horses this year for the warring countries. They need as many more, mayncs twice as many more. New York Telegraph.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800