The Sentinel=record., 1914-05-24
AMERICAN DEFENSE
 IN POLO IS WEAK
ENGLISH, TOO, HAVE NOT THE TEAMS THAT HAVE BEEN VIC
 TORS IN THESE MATCHES.
Withdrawal of Harry Payne Whitney Leaves a Big Gap in the American Four That Will Be Hard To Fill.

Now York, May 23.-With the sail ing of the English polo team for this country today the American polo au- thorities will be relieved of anxiety regarding a situation which at times promised to develop a fasco in the first of the international team con- tests of the present season of sport
 Less than ten days ago it appeared as though the match was to fall through owing to the inability of Lord Wimbourne to secure a repre- sentative team to compete for the cup challenged for by the Burling- ham Club, Great pressure was brought to bear upon the factions whose petty bickerines threatened to disrupt the team and the party which sails today includes the following players and substitutes Captain II. A. Tomkinson No. i Major Y. '. D. Bingham, No. 2 Major F. w. Bar rett No. 3, and Captain Leslie St. C. Cheape back, with Major B. H.. Mathew-Lannowe, and Baron Vim borne as substitutes.
 While this team is admittedly not the best combination in England, having been repeatedly defeated by Walter $. Buckmasters four in prac- tice games, it includes players who are ranked with the leaders of Eng fish polo. Whether this combination is strong enough to wrest the Inter- national Polo Challenge Cup from tue possession of the American de lenders is a question which is being argued in polo circles throughout the two countries. Experts maintain that it is not as strong as the Eng fish team of 1913 and the same cou- teution is held when the American teams of 1913 and l9l .are compared. There is no denying the fact that the withdrawal from active play of Captain Harry Payne Whitney weak oncd the Meadow-Brook four. Fur thcrmorc there is no substitute now being considered for his place who is within several goals of Whitney's class. Broadly speaking, both Eng fish and American teams as outlined at present appear to be 90 per cent weaker than was the case last June, when the United States team won by 10 l-2 to ' 1-4 in two straight games.
 Under these conditions much will depend upon the team play and the conditions ot thc ponies IT ta6 final anlysis and in these respects the cup defenders appear to have an adyan- tage The team Chat Baron Vim borne took to Madrid has been dis rupted and remoulded less than a month previous 10 the matches. Whitney's decision to drop out was known months ago, and provision made for the breaking in of suit able substitute and there is a general impression among poloists that should the American team be de- feated in the opening game Whitney would be seen in the saddle on the second day of play So far as the l ponies are concerned it is an axiom of polo that the invading team al- ways plays under a handicap in this respect.
 Despite the handicaps, the chal- longing team is not to be lightly con sidered. According to the English handicapping system. the four as named at present consist of two top rankers and two third classification players Barrett and Cheape are ten point or limit men, with Bingham and Tomkinson rated at eight points each. Major Mathews-t.annowe is nine point player and Lord Vim | borne is rated at seven. The Eng. fish and American handicapping sys- tems differ in the respect that while
 nine points is the United States limit tho Birmingham top ranker Is ten point player. Therefore, while tho Waterbury brothers and Dey- eraux Milburn are nine point players
 in tho United States list they are ranked ono point hieher In English
 haqdieaps At the present time II. C ehlpps is generally conceded as