view raw text
! • : , I . . ; ■ 1 JOSEPH A. MURPHY OFFERS SERVICES I Will Aid Government in Establishing Breeding Farms in Missouri — Points Out Necessity of Horse. St. Louis. Mo.. Mav 1. — Joseph A. Murphy yester- day sent to Senators Heed and Wilfley. to Speaker Clark and other members of Congress from this • state the following letter: •The Associated Press, in its story of Monday, carried the siguificent statement that the Cermaus •vre unable to continue the offensive for lack of bants. It has been accepted by many in high authority that the battle of the Mariic. which saved Paris, was turned by the French cavalry. Thus at two crucial points of offensive and defensive warfare the horse has lieeu a determining factor. "The warring factors of Europe have accepted I the thoroughbred horse as the essential foundation 1 for the ideal army horse. "In its forty years of preparedness for war the German government not only took supervision over • racing, but established breeding farms on a stu-lieiidous scale, it paid as high as 25. OtM for an 1 Kpsom I erby winner to place in the stud. The magnitude of these farms may be guaged from the • fact that, in one of their drives in Last Prussia, the Russians captured tine of them and carried off tiii.iNNi mares. Yet the first place that the German 1 war machine has cracked is in horses. "The French government also took supervision over racing, deducting a percentage from the pari- mutuel for the breeding of army horses. Before the war the French government owned over 3.500 stal- lions, which were sent all over the country for the use of tlio farmers, the government taking a lien on the produce. The result is that the French cavalry is the |*.st mounted in the world, and that is why. possibly, the kaiser is not in Paris today. RACING IN WAR -TORN COUNTRIES. "The Knglish government has increased the racing days to eighty this vear as against forty last year so thai, in the survival of the fittest, it can determine by actual tests on the race track, the sturdiest blood to continue its breeding for tin army. France and Germany are also racing in these war-torn times. "Several years ago Col. D. S. Stanley from th Army, and George XL Rommel from the Department of Agriculture, were delegated to look into this subject. They made an exhaustive report showing the absolute necessity of thoroughbred blood in the army horse and calling attention to the growing scarcity of the proper tyjie of horse for military purposes. "Then years ago the stud book for thoroughbreds showed that there were 0.000 foals a year. This year the number has fallen to 2.500. With tin sharp necessities of the war out of the way. the government is certain to turn to this subject and it will lie our duty to see that the claims of Mis souri are properly presented if stock farms, under governmental supervision are to be established. "It is accepted that a clay soil with a limestone foundation, to which blue grass is indigeontis. is the ideal land to make bone for horses. Missouri with thousands of acres of virgin soil, carpeted with magnificent blue grass, measures up to every requirement. Yet at the present time all of tin governmental activities in breeding, are confined 10 Kentucky. Virginia. Tennessee. New York and New Hampshire. My services, if needed, will In at yours and the governments disposal when the proper time conies.**
