New-York tribune., 1919-04-28
Every Branch of Athletics
Experiences Boom; /; Roy.
al Family Takes Lead
By Arthur S. Draper

airy remarks about the British army
and their military critics protested
that the Tommy went to battle in the
same spirit he entered sporting con-
test The enemy could not understand
now war could be considered a game"
rather than an exact science, which re-
qpired years of careful, hard study
before 1T could be mastered.
Behind the lines in France MANY
Football game was played on fields
within range of the German guns.
Boxing tournaments were staged
tew miles from the trenches. Mule
races and horse races were held under
the very eyes of the German scouting
machines. Even an effort was made
20 construct a golf course not far
from the Somme battlefield. The Brit
lsh soldiers, with a love for athletic
contests which could not be weakened
py mud and rain and the other hard
shlps or war, have come home
IN lhese days when people talk about
reeohstruction and reorganization and
complain about the lack of govern
ment foresight and the difficulties Of
capltal ana labor coming to an agree
meht; tnere is one branch of the ma
Mpnsl NE which Is moving forward
WIN Few or no .nbstructlons. British
sport has Heams hack ;"
4 GeneFsi Awakening
inc land ThsFe the gelf Courses srs
eRen twalva months IN the year, where
repthall can be plaged In January,
whsFa VAFslY gaees ara pawed IN
Mateh llas lest no tine IN pavipiHg
lss speftso ,afIef leHg peFied ef ~
ae'lV'is Fhe British have napa, mada
business Or spettsi athletic eeA
tssls 70 shem fAfhlsh The besi form
- fetteatinh There 10 no 0slef tesI
fet The piitish sportsman. Whan
Arthur tialfouf. The seventy yss,'nia
Foreign Minister, appears OH TIE tan
~ court or David Lloyd Gscfre. tbs
hity-six year-old Prime Minister s,ands :
nt the first tee Of .he Waltnn
Heath Golf Club, their opponenfs kunv
Keen competition is ahead. And Ms
loVe OF sport. this zest for n sharn
contest has carried Britain over many
Troublesome period.
me royal family is keenlv inter.
oughbreds will race at the Acct mast. ne
ing in June. The Prince of Wales WI, .'ssvl ard
ms brother, Prince Albert, had ring.
sldc seats at the Jimmy Wilde.Joo
Lynch bout the other night at the
national Sporting Club. The young
princes officiate at many Of the attn.
ietlc contests, such, for instance. as
me 'cross-country race for soldiers and
me ihtercolonla rugby games.
axe british boxing. 1t is different
from the American brand. In the first
PAGE nn 1t Is considered manly art"
and as such something to be supported
and not hampered by restrictions. The
hrltlsh army Of occupation is promot.
ing regular tournaments; the public
schoois nave arranged tournament
among. the entries Of which will be
boys from Eton, st. Pauls, Dulwich
ana most OF the other famous schools;
lhe amateur tournament will draw
representatives from all walks of life
1t strikes an American STRANGELY
when he attends his first British tour
nament and hears not single word of
applause or a handicap while the round
Is IN progress. The Briton reserves
ms cheers until the gong rings; the
boxers have nothing to divert their
attention from the task ahead of them.
boxing came back with rush >immedi-
ately after the armistice, when the
international tournament for members
or the army and navy was held. 1t
has grown more popular with each
week
For long time there was a question
whether the thoroughbred or the hu-
man was to have his measure of oats
reduced and eventually a compromise
was reached, apparently without harm
TO either. The jumpers have raced
over the hurdles right through the
winter, and the attendance at the race
meetings has increased steadily until
a few days ago record crowd saw
Poethlyn win for the second time the
Grand National, the greatest test in
cross-ccuntry racing.
Women Active in Racing
Incidentally it is mentioned here
that the owner of the winner is a
woman and that during the last year
women have taken the honors in three
OF the blue-ribbon events in English
racing. Lord Derby, the British Am
bassador in France and ex-War Sec
retary, has begun early to gather the
prizes Tor which his fine stable has
competed.
AS more than half the horses in
training arc owned by members Of
the peerage it is apparent that racing is
assured of financial support; 1t is
estimated that this years Derby will
draw the greatest crowd in history to
the famous EPSON Downs. Betting is
carried on openly and the bookmakers
report that business exceeds that Of
the pre- war days.
Football always draws tho crowd as
No other sport, including horsn racing
and cricket. For one thing the price
~ admission Is lover and then the
hflGs are much mare accessible than
Tie race eaursas and tha cricket
otessns II Ia no unusual arnwd which
numhGsa 10000, while tho attendance
at some al the recent games has
reached more lhan $4,000, dust ~
present british football followers are
bslhg ihflliad by serlea of Eames
~ which sedlefs. offleefs and pfivates,
afe eemnptlne for the ehampioRsh of
the empite, Australia and New Sea
lahl ufe represented by exceptionally
strong teams Association football is
just ~ popular ard the various leagues
are atawlhg teesfd crowds.
OSford and Cambridge soon so' into
theif strides when the men began to
return, following the armIstice Both
universities nave held rowing rcgattas,
Oxford adopting the American system
OF heat races, while Cambridge stuck
TO the old form of humping races.