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RESUMPTION OF RACING IN FRANCE. T Plan Under Which the Sport Is to Be Carried On Away from Paris. q The last number of the official "Calendar" confirms information published in "The Sportsman" on June 22. announcing race meetings to be held somewhere in France between the end of August and 1 November 12. not less than sixty kilometers thirty-eight and one-half miles from Paris. All entries for such races as the Derby at Chantilly and other classic events for which engagements have to be made in advance and already published in the "Calendar," have been declared null ond void. Fully two months are needed to draw up the new conditions. They will be framed to include horses whose merits for the stud as future sires and dams have i remained undetermined owing to the absence of t racing during the two previous years The Societe r dEncouragement. in its report of the sitting which promises to restore racing in France to its normal ; conditions, gives explanations which prove that the position was understood; that a partial resumption t of sport such as that proposed six months ago , would have failed to remedy the position of breeders. The Societe dEncouragement provides from the j reserves in hand one million francs as added money and has appealed to other race societies to deal as j liberally as possible with the funds they have ac- cumulated, so as to relieve the hardships imposed on the once flourishing industry of breeding. The Societe des Steeplechases de France, through its . worthy president. Prince Murat, took part in the J discussion and suggested that under present circumstances a premium of ten per-cent. and a second of five per-cent. should bo given the breeders of the horses placed first and second in the new race J meetings, and he offered to provide these additional encouragements from the cross-country funds. Other race societies will follow the example set them. It is a fact that race societies in France with their nominal capital bearing interest at five per cent, are not compelled to expend their entire receipts from admission at the "gate" and the commission from the "mutuels." After payment of all expenses they are permitted to form a reserve fund, which should not exceed the value of the last three years budget. Consequently these societies must have in hand sufficient to carry on racing for a period of three years independent of the "mutuels" and gate money. It may, however, be mentioned that with the assent of the government, these reserves have been drawn on for patriotic purposes, and though the sums expended have not been applied to alleviating the losses of breeders, they have been used for war hospitals and ambulances. That it. is possible to carry on racing without the adjunct of that lottery which has given so much "backsheesh" to the republic is shown by the financial management of the Societe dEncouragement. which since its foundation over eighty years ago established racing not as a means of gain or profit, not. as a public spectacle or amusement, but for the sole purpose of improving the breed of horses. How far that principle had been carried out was embodied in the statement made by the minister of agriculture in the senate, when the law of June 2. 1S91, was under discussion, and lie exclaimed: "The prosperity of racing can alone secure the prosperity of horse breeding in France." Private interests were impaired at the commencement of the war, but during the past two years breeding in France, a branch of commercial prosperity, of national wealth, and an industry of primary importance for military purposes, has suffered cruelly. The committee of the Societe dEncouragement declares that the victory of Durbar in the Epsom Derby of 1914 and his inability to gain a better place than fourth in the Chantilly Derby was undeniable proof of the progress made in breeding in France. Our turf senate reminds its critics that in December. 1914, when all danger of an occupation of Paris by the enemy had been relieved after the battle of the Mnrne, a formal application was made to the governor of Paris for the surrender of the race course at Longchamps. Men wore set to work to repair tin? damage done by the cattle parked there in provision of a siege. Only a confirmation of the promise made by the military authorities was wanting to permit of an immediate resumption of sport. At the last minute the course and stands wore again requisitioned as an aviation camp. Permission to organize a race meeting was practically granted the Nice race committee. At the last moment the boon was withdrawn, and owners, with their sorely-tried colleagues, the breeders, were deprived of the 22,000 pounds which would have been distributed among winners and placed horses at the meeting. The Societe dEncouragement in its admirable report explans that it has never ceased to examine seriously every scheme submitted ; and hoped daily that some feasable plan for the re-1 sumption of racing would be forthcoming. Having received nothing really practicable, the committee makes the following suggestion to the minister of agriculture?: Race meetings shall be organized outside the Parisian area under the management and at the expense of the Societe dEncouragement. The . different courses hereafter to be named as giving i every guarantee of the accuracy of the existing trials for speed and endurance will be available. These trials will be established on weekdays, without any . betting, with a non-paying public so far as the ; heath is concerned, admission by payment being to 1 the paddock and saddling enclosures only. Racing , will be established in the leading districts for breeding, such as Normandy, the midlands and the . southwestern division, avoiding those places where holiday-makers and fashionable society most do ! congregate, and will be fixed for dates between the ; last day in August and November 12. Paris Letter to London Sportsman.
