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IN ■" of j,, ti t., for all f, for h ,„ tt for fi I h w 11 B ii in il h H k 1 of 0 n " t ii it ! I :i h d » I ■ * p r n 1 1 ; a I i I 1 1 1 I I j I I • 1 . THE DEFENSE OF RACING « . War Department Makes Clear its Position in the Matter. * Secretary Weeks Points Out to Kentucky Legislature Necessity of Continuing- the Sport. . 0 WASHINCTON. D. C January 2S.— Secretary of War Joha W. Weeks, in a letter to the chairman the judiciary rOBSBllttec of the Kentucky legi-la tare, which is considering a bill having for it- object the abolition of racing in thai state, has much Bay in defease of the thoronxhhred a- a medium .niproving the type of hor-e useful in pee anil important in rase of war A aartioa of his alea a cunt inuance of the tests so Bcceaeary for the le-.elopinent of the type I.. How-: "One of the BBOOl valuable bleed- in existence for siring geneial utility and riding a. uses is the thoroughbred. He is al-o of inestimable value as a cavalry sire, and the demand "f the country today stallion- to -ire riding horses, cavalry horses, cow ponies and general utility horses, particularly for southern work, indicates that the demand for this breed of stallion greatly exceeds the other light, breeds lombined. "Gi-nei.il Batea of tin- Engli-h Remount Service, who had barge of the Eagliah pur.ha-ing in this country, stated in his official report that the Failed States had probably the best draft horses and mules the world, but thai the riding or cavalry horse did not exist in this country in appreciable numbers: and in parchaeiag animals jn the Enited States the Fngli-h government could only sp. ure a -iil-titute for tin- tiding or cavalry hor-e. The English, therefore, secured the majority of horses this typ ■ from Australia Bad Canada •There is a BTeal shortage ■ tiie riding and utility hor-es in thi- coaatry. but breeding facta n.-iTely ha-- been revived, and tiie government . throned the Remount Service of the army aas found accessary to eacoaras;e and asaisi thi- hreedhaa. "A stady of tie- breeding m all nation- -hows that the I iioroughhivd horse i- legarded as one of the best sires for cavalry and general utility work, and that they do mote work, -tatnl m.ae hard-hip. lieat and eld. am! -how moie murage am! en durance than any type of poorly bre.l animal. Most nations fully realise iiis fact and encourage and support lacing in order t.. produce more and better thoroughbreds: France even going so far as to keep up its racing healed I lo-ed gates during the world war. so that its thoroughbred stock would not depreciate. "Arguments have been advanced to the effect That n-i race hor-e-. or at leas few race hor-.-s. are u-e.l for war work or work purpn-es. particularly in this coaatry. Thi- is true if yoa consider the actual ra.e horse There are only about K..0OO thorough -lir.il- in the Fnited State-. -.. in buying out the SS.000.OOS we could only expei ta -■•• few registered thoroughbred-. However, it must be reniein-hered that a great percentage of these horses after serving their paipooe for racing or have been tested at racing, are distributed widelj throughout the Fnited State- as -ii"-. Their g I blood is found in good many of the other SS.0S0.SM hor-e- in the Fnited State-. A sire will go from the -.ace track iu the Ea-t to Mis-nuri. California. Wyoming or Texas, and arlll serve maay Btares in these states and produce main colt- which Will .any In- ■ t oiighbre.l blood down for many generations and hupp due- horses foi these states which do nm have racing, ami will make them famous for producing high-class horses. Tin- ihocosjghhrcd blood is there fun- found and fully appreciated in all good breeding sections of the Fnited Stales. It i- usually evident and traceable in a large percentage of our riding horses, cow ponies and -mailer type utility or driv ing horses. If racing is discontinued or abolish.!, the results of breeding could hardly be less than flfl astrous to the utility and light horse industry of the Fnited Stat-. Bad it would mcin that the arm could not in the event of war mount it- cavalrj or pioperly equip it- infantry divisions and artillery with the large number of riding horses that ate re quired in modern warfare. "I hope the above will make the position of the War Department in his mater clear to your committee."
