The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-07-06
Victory Derby a National Jubilee

LONDON, June B Cby MniD .-
hundreds " American suidicrs and
sailors VIII have another good story
10 toll the homie folk when they get
back the story OF the Victory derby
| Ihs was their chance 20 sec the
worlds greatest racing classic. aud
every officer and man who had IA,
day free joyfully seized 1t.
In popular interest the derby Is
10 England what the. annual base.
ball champ mpionship2 series is 10 the
nl'cd states But no nationnl
event over there s anything likeril
Tho race, OF course IN the climax
and II focuses cVeryhody's atten-
lion, but Derby day has so many
other elements of intcrcs. beginning
win rhc long, gay pilgrimage from
London 10 Epson Downs and In.
Guiding a public picnic and carnival
on the grounds. that the only ming
one can family compare II 10 In the
Inllod Staior In what barbecue LAY
used TO be during big race meet az
southern county far
II is a great festival shared by all
kinds of people. from King to beg
gar Interest In the derby. which
WIS revived a. EPSON his year fnr
the iiist time since 1914. was moth
ing short OF remarkable. The war
worn people seized upon IL az an
opportunity Tor "a kind of peace ccIc-
brauon. For weeks they talked about
n ana read columns about IL In
ihe newspapers The fevcUysh eX-
element probably was duo 10 the
p"nt-up nervous 0motionalism gene
rated hy ihc war Hut Derby day
hhh The safety valve.
Awcd by Immcnsity.
Never I'm the history OF the race
mas there been such huge attend
nucc An old bookmaker Who hasn't
missed derby In 20 years. aaid that
the number OF vehicles alone was
not only a record. but "a record
twice over"
The Victory derby differed from
the dcrbics ~ other years not only
In the size ~ the crowd. bur In the
presence ~ go many men ana women
IN military uniforms Tommy At
Rims was all over the picture. Also
dtmobilizcd AIRY. wearing his silver
service badge. with 'Arriet on HIS
arm, There was "a large sprinkling.
too, Of the dominion troops, partlcu-
lnrly Canadians and Australians. and
not a few French and Italian uni.
forms were I'm evidence.
Mono enjoyed themselves more
lhorouEhly however. than the
American soldiers. For one thing.
the Derby was moro OF novcIa
to them man TO their overseas
cousins. and their interest was pl-
qued In a hundred ways They were
"A trlflc awed perhaps 10y tho immcn
siy Of the thing Only London
could furnish such a crowd Almost
as far as the eye could reach. the
great sweep or the downs was a
surging mass Of people
Sixteen big stands and the mann
moth grand stand, which were an
packed and running over, held only
"A fraction OF the enormous gather
ing The mile and hsf course OF
tho Derby race was fTncd sOlidly with
spectators on each side every foot
of the way Scores OF thousands
congcsted the infield, swarlnlng like
anls among tho gaudy tents OF the
sidN shows. the bookmakers' booths,
gypsy CSravanG and vehicles OF AN
descriptions. from aristocratic
coaches and glistcning limousincs to
Irish jaunung carts and Costcrs'
donkey barrows
4 Democratic Mass.
BY one o'clock II seemed impos-
sihle 10 squeeze another wheel into
tho vast tanglc, but the roads from
London continued To spout their end
less stream of traffic into the en-
closure. with horns blaring their
melodious call. the smart coaches