[To THE Horns or ma •• Sescraroan Sun,—The question of racing
or not racing during the war, as to which the Times gave a good lead, Seems to have been badly confused by many correspondents (1) Even if it were true that the particular type of horse-breeding involved would suffer, we are not for the moment concerned with the preservation of the thoroughbred, bet with the safety of the country. (2) Everybody admits that we have not yet fully realized the gravity of the straggle we are engaged in,
13) Thanks to the Nary, we have no devastated fields or desolated towns or villages to bring it home to us. (4) A few empty racecourses might be a useful reminder of what we have in band. (5) As to the hardships that may accrue to the persons engaged in borse.racing as a business, let us remember the thousands of our bravest and youngest and best that are giving up their very lives that we may survive. We older ones and the other parasites and the butterflies can well take our chance for a bit. Let us be done with the war quickly before our breed is emasculated and the thoroughbred Briton is destroyed. (6) Oliver Cromwell, whom all of us do not admire in many things, was, like every Englishman, fond of a good horse. But in times of stress he looked askance at racing. We do not read that our prestige abroad suffered. On the other hand, under his successor, when Newmarket was all agog again, quite the reverse was the case. This is not aped hoe propter hoc argument, but indicates, I think, truly the frame of mind we should cultivate at this tizue.—I am, Sir, &e., Coarszavamvs.
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