New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-18
Readiness to Take a Lick
ing Not Characteristic
of Polo England.
HIGH HOPE FOR A
GOLDEN GOLF FLEECE
Feds Have Come to Stay if Signs
of the Times Can Be Taken
at Their Full Worth.
BY Herbert.
C.. Herbert Daley.)


C.. Herbert Daley0
According to The London Daily Tele-
graph" Englands polo team. which VIII
iiGade this country in quest OF the inter-
national cur. is not representative eN-
cept i'm one rcspect-that of the English-
mans understandable readiness TO take a
licking" How long. pray. one may be
hardened fer asking. has il become
Characteristic for Englishmcn TO so into
A fight with an avowed readiness to take
q licking? 1t is possible that The Daily
Telegraph" may speak by the book. out
il has been my experience that most
Enclishnen. like most Americans never
know when they are licked and are dis
posed 10 resent IL when the fact is act
,,auv brought home Somehow or other
that particular phrase tangled almost as
much as the suggestion that the gener-
Gus offer Of the Polo Association here
TO POSTPONE the matches two weeks IN
spite of all plans being made. as being
in the light of Greek gift. Those
interested in polo in this country tried
10 do something TO help those in Eng
land straighten out what looked like
hopeless tangle They get a slap in their
face for their pains. but fortunately. not
from a representative of English POLO
but from some dyspeptic critic, who evil
IDENTIFY is not of that particular persua-
sion with a "spOrtsmanlike readiness 10
take a licking" using his own words
Now a Greek gift is one which oper-
stes in favor of the giver. More than
that. il is considered dangerous 10 the
receiver as was the famous wooden
horse which brought about the destruc-
ton Of Troy and the utter rout and con-
fusion of the Trojans of ancient days.
such a construction placed on well
meant offer probably should he treated
with the contempt il deserves but it has
ranked for three days and could not be
dismissed without free expression.
However. ii is Of small moment beyond
showing the narrOwness and pettishness
Of some souls who are never happy I'M
less they are mixing too much sand in
tine cement.
Turning to happier things. all good
sportsmen. both here and In Great Britain
are re1oiced over the final settlement OF
a situation that threatened TO cost the
loss Of an international conflict, which
promises 10 be quite as spectacular and
gripping as the one fought out on the
polo field at Meadow Brook year ago
Appetites have been whetted for the
thrilling meeting Of daring horsemen, and
II would have been pity if social strife
or narrow prejudice had wrecked the eX-
pedition and necessitated the withdrawal
Of the challenge, issued in good faith.
Captain Leslie ST. George Chcape, the
dashing. clever back, whom We learned TO
respect here in the matches Of 1911, was
not painted in glowing colors in the re-
ports by cable. but the fact remains that
he did go to the rescue at the last minute
. and that certainly absolves him from the
charge of being lacking in the true sport
ing spirit. Anything that led up 70 th'
disrupting Of Lord Wimborne's team mus
now be forgotten. The team is coming
and no doubt will give good account 81
itself. even though the English critics
fearful for the worst, have already writ
Ten and published an alibi in the conten
ton that the team is not fully repre-
sentative.
IOlO ana every OtlcT SpolNf IoI biia
matter, must now sink into the back
ground for a few days at least, as al
eyes are focused on the links at Sandwich
England, where the greatest golf tourna-
mcnt I'm the history of the sport will pc
fought out this week Never have sc
many PLAYERS, truly representative of the
greatest amateur Goling skill of thi'
country and Great Britain, stood shoulder
10 shoulder as will be gathered at the iirs'
tee at Sandwich to-day. Harold III. Hi
ion. who will cover the tournament eX-
cus;yely for The Tribune, was right IN
saving that the flower Of the goliing worlc
win be seen in action. As previously
nolnted out the ten Americans who have
bearded the English lion in his most can
gerous sporting lair Jared mighty wei III
the draw Jerome ID. Travers and FRANCIS
Ouimet, the amateur and open champions
respectively, of this country. are on OPP
nosite sides. which. of course, opens the
way 10 their meeting in the final round
The Tribune said editorially on THURSDAY
that il was hoped despite a perfectly
healthy patriotism" that this condition
would not arise in order that the inter
national element might continue TO Inc
very end. No doubt most of us ought 10
feel the same way. but my patriotism
without demanding, fairly Graves condi-
ton which would so strongly set the seal
ON Americas goling greatness.
With Travers. Ouimet, "Chick hVahs
and Herreshoff heading the American
Invasion there is every reason TO De
hopeful. but no reason to be comment
EnpIishmen have rallied to the defence
81 their title In way which means
cough going for the strongest and oes'
OF our players.
II must not be forgotten that there Aie
ten scratch players in Great Britain u
one in this country and that whereas
,Iuton is the amateur champion ana al
least four of our players measure VI
we'll TO him in skill, there are twenty
nerhaps forty, players in Great Britain
who are right in the same class' IL :,
time of course. that many OF 'hese W"
be busy putting each other OUT ou' '"S
Coo, remains that the field is strong anu
49, ,yav 70 the final round long, cohse-
emoctlv IL would be well not TO count 100
snrs,v on a contamination so deVou''Y