The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1911-03-31
WASHINGTON LETTER.

H-N~@-A-.-~-eN -
The Jockey Club Of New York aud the
sporting gentry all over the country are
very bitter against the "hypocrites' who
have been so successfully legislating
against horse racing. The breeding Of
rae horses in America has been doubtless
given staggering blow-but what of it,
The race horse is the least useful OF the
equine race. He is small, light weight
carrier, '.all hot sand and ginger" unfit
for the saddle, unless 1t 10 a saddle of d
light weight jockey. and is fit for nothing
but gambling If crossed with cold
blooded horse Of good bone and size, 4
good saddle or carriage horse may be
obtained, but there is no longer any de-
mand forthe thoroughbred race horses in
peace or in war. The telephone or wire
less telegraph with the motor cycle or the
automobile will call and bring the doctor
much quicker than the swiftest race horse,
while for courier purposes in time OF war
or in stress of battle, the telephone and
wireless telegraph. to say nothing Of fly.
ing machines have put the equine racer
bors de combat Mr. Belmont complains
that the "hypocrites, have refused TO
recognize the great good racing was
accomplishing for the improvement of
the breed of horses. 1t is only sporting
men of the Belmont character that claim
that racing does any good for the i'm
prnvement of the breed. 1t doubtless inn
proves a breed hut what kind of breed?
Horses doubtless will long be used for The
saddle. for draft on the roads and en-
farms, or for pleasure, but ii is astonish-
ing to see the extent to which motor
vehicles have in very short time taken
the place of horses Mr.. Belmont has
announced that he will ship TO Great
Britain four Of his best two year-old colts
Well, let them go with their jockeys and
their black leg encourage. Farmers and
breeders are importing Clydesdale,
Norman and Percheron horses, which
are far better.
~
It is said that the United States i'm
ported more than forty millions Of dollars
worth of diamonds last year. This
country as might be expected is the
greatest diamond market in the world.
Il also furnishes the greatest harvest in
the world for diamond thieves. I, il
said that most ladies Of the -four hum
dred' wear paste diamonds in order to
avoid the exposure Of their real gems to
the cupidity of the light-fngered experts.
Good scheme, but why pay for the real if
the spurious will do as well7
***
II appears thatthe distinguish ID mill.
tary experts of France and Germany are
strenuously at work to show that the
United States and Japan must fight The
argument Of tie German expert is that
The control Of the Pacific is essential to
the commercial existence of Japan. and
that in order TO maintain this supremacy
Japan must have the control of Guam
and Hawaii as coaling stations and bases
Of supply. But can Japan control the
Pacifics Will not England. Germany,
France, Russia and other European
powers have something 10 say with
reference to the control of the Pacific?
Great Britain is easily five times as power
full on the sea as Japan. and yet she does
not pretend to control the Atlantic or
even the Mediterranean, Of which she
holds both the gates, Suez and Gibraltar.
The Medi,erran. an is an open sea Japan
control the Pacific II is doubt
full if she could control the inland sea, of
Japan TO say nothing OF the Yellow Sea,
The sea of China. aud other contiguous
waters. The Pacific is by odds The big
GEES of oceans. aud no nation or nations
can control it. The same writer argues
that the United States has only "a
warships in the. Pacific. while Japan has
Ia5 He is mistaken Japan has las
thousand. bnt they are mostly san pand,
a kind of fishing boat carrying two or
three persons With tail oar. The Jap
anese will have and ought to have much
to do with The navigation Of the Pacific
for they are nnexcelled as sailors and can
conduct carrying trade At less than half
the cost of any American or European
country; but the talk of any nation con
trolling the Pacific is as extrasagant as il
would be to talk Of controlling the ether.
The first step Of the extra session of
Congress will be to pass the Canada
bill, and the second step will
be. il is said. to materially reduce the
tariff on wool and wooden goods If this
can be accomplished, the western Sena-
a