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1 ■ i ! • - . r 1 i - I p i I :• f t t - 1 r I 1 • 1 • : 1 f f r RACING SHOULD NOT BE CURTAILED , Officers of Army Department and Remount Service : Say to Stop Sport Would Be Disaster. Washington. D. C June 17. — If the scheduled race meetings in Kentucky next fall are discontinued it will he greatly regretted hy officials of the War Department in Washington. The announcement i from Louisville that then- was opposition to the holding of the fall min-ting* this year on account | of the war and that none of the Kentucky associa- tious had anolie.l for dates, was received by officers i of the War "Department and particularly of the re- 1 mount service with much regret and concern. The War Department in every way has endeavored to encourage racing in the Inited States, unofficially, of course, but in a manner that has been given the taeit indorsement of tlie government. Tlie President himself attended the races at Arlington Iark in Virginia, not once, but on two occa- 1 sions. and displayed a lively interest in the sport. He requested "particularly that the classes in the i horse show be passed over that he might witness • the racing. Officers at tlie head of the Remount Service have co-operated in many ways with racing associations and have testified hy their presence at the meetings in Maryland to their hearty approval of racing. At the" session of tiie Maryland Legislature last winter officers from a number of cantonments appeared Is-fore the legislative committees to protest against the enactment of any measure that would cnr.ail racing in the state, declaring that racing was the Iioim- of the army to provide remounts for tiie cavalry. That the Kentucky State Racing Commission or any mcmticr of it. or the associations, should consider the abandonment of their fall meetings this year, conies therefore, not only as a surprise to officers of tiie army here in Washington, but it is accompanied by real regret, coupled with the hope that there will be a reconsideration of the purpose, if it is really contemplated. At the War Department, when the officers in the Remount Division were informed of the possibility of th" discontinuance of the fall meetings in Kentucky, there was great surprise expressed. Colonel Fair, the head of the remount service. lias Ix-eii one of the most ardent advocates of racing because he ls-lieves that racing is necessury if ihe army is to be supplied with sufficient horses of tha-tiroprr tjlie for tenronnt purposes. He fav -red a plan to give races this year for horses to 1m-ridden hy officers and men of the allied armies, and promised to enter horses of his own. but none of the associations placed any such races on their programs. "The War Department, and particularly the officers of the Remount Service, are peculiarly inter ested in the racing of thoroughbreds." said one of the officers of that division. "It is with extreme regret, therefore, that we learn there is any question alx.ut the fall meeting in Kentucky this year. In an official way we have done everything pos sible to encourage racing and unofficially have given racing our hearty endorsement by attending the races on numerous occasions. RACING NECESSARY TO SUPPLY HORSES. I "To stop racing would be disaster, not only to the breeding interests of America, but also to tin army, for it is from the thoroughbred strain that tlose in charge of the Remount Service ex] ect to get hors.-s of the right type for the cavalry. Racing is a necessary institution if the army is to be sup plied with a sufficient niimlior of horses of the right kind. Throughout the war England has steadily given encouragement to racing and France also has continued its meetings, while even in stricken Russia the government still holds its regular rac meetings. "The breeding of riding horses in the Tnitec States Iims sadly declined in the last several years. There are not sufficient horses available now to iikm t tiie requirements of the army and the only haf* w:- have is to encourage breeding of the right type :md this type is possible only from tlie thoroughbred. Consequently, if we are to equip our cavalry with horses — and cavalry. I may say, will prove a widely imi»ortant factor in tlie war befori l.-ng — we must look to the thoroughbred in a large measure for our supply anil the thoroughbred can only exist if racing is encouraged. Army officers who have given close attention to the development of a type of remount for the army, have endeavored to get racing associations to give longer races and more steeplechases. We have always believed that if there were more long races and fewer sprints. it would go u long way toward improving the breed. "Personally. I am strongly in favor of racing us a diversion, for I believe every nation in the midst of war should have the -right kind of amusement. and when we can combine diversion with usefulness. it is doubly desirable. That is what happens in i In racing of horses. There is no more interesting an.l healthful s]Mirt for humans than horse racing. and at the same time it serves a peculiarly jni- ixirtant purpowe at ,,lis time when the country is at war and there is a crying need for horses of th.- right kind. I should regret exceedingly if Ki-n- tueky the greatest of all racing states, to which we have looked with great satisfaction and confi-1 done,- should consider the abandonment of racing at this time. I am strongly in favor of all racing associations going ahead with the regular programs. "I believe if the associations east and west were to give races for army officers it would help to increase the general interest in the si« rt and at the MM time remove whatever prejudice may exist among certain lasses against it. Some persons do U"t r.-alize that racing is at the foundation of one of the most important units in the general defense of ti„. nation. I certainly hope that wiser counsel «ill prevail and that racing in Kentucky this year will go ahead as. regularly scheduled. It has the hearty supiiort of all officers of the army who know its imiMirtaiice." a ,
