New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-17
Manager of Recent Challenges
Suggests Refusal to
Play in June.
DISCUSSES CUP MATCHES
Says big Four" Would Have
Turned Out for Second Game
Had Mr.. Keene's Team
Lost the First.

! r. ID. Miller, manager or the British polo
team, which failed to lift" the West.
chester Cup in the international series on
the field of Meadow Brook in June comes
the suggestion that the next challenging
team should insist on the matches being
played late in September ard refuse to
make the trip unless the American Polo
Association accedes 10 the demand. Pub
lie opinion, he believes. will force the
association to give way on this point,
which he considers extremely important
as concerning the chances OF the chal-
| lengers' success.
CAPTAIN Miller. who was more or less
reticent while on his recent visit 10 this
country. has written his impressions Of
the international matches for The Field
Of London. He discusses frankly the IN
dividua and team work Of the American
players. referring TO them as -four su-
perlatively good players" Mr. Whitney
he thinks. played quite as well as In 1911
and better than IN 1909; the Waterbury
bows are Just as fast, but lack little Of
the old power and accuracy Of earlier
DAYS. while Mr. Milburn has improved
beyond belief"
on the American teams methods Cap
tain Miller makes this interesting CON-
ment: They play entirely a game OF
their own at great speed, without pause
or hesitation, and hit the ball across
the ground much more than our men DO
tho forward players hitting comparatively
few backhanders. They keep their ponies
going so fast that on slower mounts they
| constantly shoot past faster ones by
starting more quickly They are very
clever at anticipating what their adver-
! saries mean 10 do. and always have their
mounts on their toes.
This kind Of polo develops into wild
| scramble VIXEN attempted by inferior
nlavers out Is wonderfully effective ano
disconcertin4 as demonstrated by this
team When they get into real dilrlcu.-
ties. as often happens, they either hI'
the ball right out Of the ground or TUCK
under the boards. or hit Il out only r."
Yards into the most unexpected posiuoh'
| knowing that one of their own side -
more likely 10 Jump 10 tbs situation and
get possession OF the bal than one OF
their opponents"
PERHAPS the most striking OF captain
luller's comments concerns the suostitu-
,io, ~ tho Big Four" for the team that
was 10 have been headed by FoXhah
Keene as the cup defender. 1t VIII be re-
called that Mr.. Keene broke MS co''a''
bone In practice. which apparently COM
pelIed the old defenders 10 come forth
AnaIvzing the English managers state
nent however the big -Four" was -
have rlaved a Fireman. save my child
| role. for he says:
HAD Il not been for Mr. Keenes acci-
dent we would have met a comparatively
scratch combination. consisting OF Messrs
1<aene Stevenson and Stoddard, with MI.
Nfilburn. the latter out OF his proper
Mace al No .. and | think we should
very likely have won the first matc''
under which circumstances II had neeh
decided that the old team would turn OUT
against us on the Saturday.
Leading up 10 his suggestion that TIE
challengers refuse 70 play unless TIE
matches are staged IN the autumn Gap
tain Miller says:
'The question now arises. when the
next team visits America what u me
hest procedure I'm order 70 meet the
Americans with the best possible chances
Of success? II the plan were 20 be to'-
lowed 81 going over early in the year ana
~ plavine the practice matches AT Lake
wood or Philadelphia. or wherever gooa
grounds can be obtained. 1t would ne
necessary 10 take a very large NUMBER OF
Monies and enough good players 70 make
the team almost entirely Independent az
outside assistance as regards practice
ct seems 10 me. II the matches are 20
take place at the same time or year O"
the next occasion. that our procedure oah-
not be improved on. except that the ponies
might start a week or ten days carrier
Then. II the players start fortnight sfter
the Monies. they will find the ponies NJ 20
NAV on their arrival We were greatly
dlsappointed on our arrival In America 70
find that we had no good teams 10 pra0'
tlse against The reason was that 'ns
American team was not yet MADE up
that there are only available eight or nine
first class players. each one OF whom ma"
a chance Of being selected.
almost all the good ponies were placer
n, the disposal OF these two teams WIN
the result that when we did get an oao
good player 10 help CMessrs. FreaKe'
Aeasslz and Romsey, who were our res"'
lar trial horses till Lord Wodehouse ar
rived he was never mounted on hrs''
class PONIES We only had one match Q"
the Meadow Brook ground-two were ID
ranged. but rain stopped the hrst-ahu
even In this match, instead OF meeuHe' %
we had hoped. a good American team,
we had 10 use Mr.. Freake ana ho'N
Wodehouse on the second string ponies
"And II must be remembered that II
not as good practice 10 play against E"'
, llshmen as against Americans lot o.
, vlous reasons. But this could not ~
helped as, outside the men compet'ns w.
, the team. there was no really good lou.
available Mr. Whitney did what "
could to help us. but he had his hanus
more than full in managing his own W.
teams. one must remember also tha' 40.
we had several hard matches we mus,
have famed some of the best ponies a''N
, we had none 10 replace them
obviously. the best time OF y year TO 70
an noin, ~ view for these matcnvs
take place Is I'm the autumn; ~ sift
notelV. a year or two ago deco % I'm.
was drawn up To settle the condltIoliaS DOR
der which this cup shall DE plaaSs Vurder.
and our difficulties as regards III ne con.
taking were greatly increased Wheh heing
Sent was given 10 the matches oon III
nIavad i'm the month of June. 40 Ion on
know il the American Polo Assoc ling
will ever consent 10 this condltlon u,sSs
altared hut an attempt should De iia a.