WAR-TIME SPORT SIR,—May I be permitted, in reply to Mr.
W. M. Lodge's challenge, to say that, of course, I am not opposed to war-time sport except when it is overdone? I had hoped that when the climax of the professional- football season was reached, with cup finals attended by 6o,000 people in England and 9o,000 in Scotland, with the teams travelling the length of the country to take part, we had seen the end of " business (as nearly as possible) as usual." Since then, in this of all war-time summers, we have had the scandal of the Derby and cricket's recent bad example of a representative match at Lord's in which first-class players, presumably, had been drawn from stations all over the country. I was not in England much during the last war ; but it is my recollection that after 1915, when it was appre- ciated that we were really up against something serious, organised sport was mainly of a local character involving a minimum of travel and time off from work of national importance. Could not that excel- lent precedent be followed now? As to the presence of staff-officers my remark was inspired by the gnawing fear that many of them do regard cricket as a " busman's holiday."—I am, yours, &c.,
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