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GREATER IMPORTANCE ATTACHED TO RACING Ono Result of the War Because Breeding Industry Depends Upon It. New York. April IS. — Commenting on General Leonard Woods pronouncement on the necessity of the maintenance of racing in the interest of the development of the best horse for military purposes. Tin* Tribune says: "Government patronage of thoroughbred brecdihw industries may be tine of the results of the woribP war into which the Baited States has entered. A new and greater importance has nttaehed itself to rnchng, upon which the lip-oiling industry depends. The speed, courage and stamina of the thoroughbred ■mi best be tested in actual racing, and only those irhh best fulfill the reqairemeats are sought fat • tud purposes. "In this age of motor cars, tractors and aeroplanes, the horse has been relieve, of many of til" duties he once performed. Atrial scouts hae prated of far greater assistance in mo ing troops than ■avalry coubl hope to be. Tiie motor ear has shown ils superiority in many way-, but the day of the horse in the army is far from dear. No more conducing esidenec of this fact is n led than the manner in which foreign agents have scoured this ceaatry for desirable horses. Countless Horses Needed for Army. "Armies like those now sweeping back and forth oer lairope rciiuire thsnaambi ami thaanaaaa r berseU. Military experts have said that two horses are reaanred for every five men. Years and years devoted to scientific experimenting have. shown that the horses with the greatest proportion of thoroughbred blood are bent for military naraaaea, "F.-ance. Ccrmany. Italy and. in a word, practically all the warring countries of Europe, hart spent millions of dollars developing superior t.vpis of horses for military purposes. "The United State i government, however, has never given serious thought to the hois- breeding industry. It might be well for Germany to pay $•7,080 for a thoroughbred stallion, as it did for the French horse Pinion. This country was content to allow things to take care of themselves and hope for tin- best. Mobilization of Last Summer Showed Need. "All the hoping in the world wont make a COW pony beat a blooded horse, however. One of the results of the apathetic attitude of the country Was felt last summer when tiie troops wen- mobilized on the M- clean border. Becaase of the sloth in the breeding industry and the activity of the foreign agents in purchasing the liest of the available supply, tiie Iliiled States was sorely pressed for suitable hor.es. the quartermasters depart no nt was scarcely able to secure a sufficient nam her of horses to e-juip properly a lone of 150,000 troops. "The need of General Pershings cavalry was i specially prom-unoed. Those who neemnpaaied the punitivi expedition say that one horse died to every quarter of a mile travelled. And there was no fighting of a si rious nature on this expedition. "In this day of awakening the government will scarcely overlook an industry which conditions de-mand should be lestered. it is probable, too, that the racing associations will give greater thought to producing horses of the proper type. This may be done in several ways. Make the laws governing two-year-old racing more stringent. The Preach offer a prize of some .VJO.ObXt for three -year ■ !,! . whieh have never started in a race. "It has been suggested that the racing associations might make the distances in some of the mere important stake -aces longer. The long n en discover the stamina, or the lack of it. in a horse, and since the In-st is sought many men clostlj in teresteil in the sport are in favor of lengthening the distames."
