Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-13

In twenty years or polo I've not
seen better team than these Argen-
tines"
This, coming as it does from an au-
thority such as Captain II. II. Holmes,
whose experience In the game embraces
virtually all the good polo that has
been played in the past two decades,
is high praise, but the record of the
South Americans well warrants 1t.
In England and America these hard
riding. headlong horsemen have swept
clean the field of honor, defeating the
best that those two countries could
send against them. The competition
that opens today at the Philadelphia
Country Club will determine whether
they will continue their list of vic
tories.
Unfortunately for the Caballeros,
however, their chances of cncompa ssing
this feat have been greately reduced
by the recent injury to David Miles,
one Of their best players, whose pluck
in sticking In the match with n badly
sprained ankle was the occasion of much
comment recently.
1t so happened that as two players
wheeled their ponies sharply in toward
the ball. Miles leg was crushed between
the animals bodies. Play was stopped
and the boot stripped from the injured
member. 1t swplled to such proportions
that the boot could not be replaced but
Miles insisted on remaining In the
game and directed that it be bound up
for the time being with adhesive tape.
Carried From Field
This was done, and with no other
support for his ankle than the tape and
a light puttee. he finished the match
At its conclusion he was lifted from his
pony and carried from the field. -,
cost them the match" said Captain
Holmes, but they won handily. 1t
was splendid pluck.
but I'm afraid that Miles won't be
able to play now for at least a fort
night. It's not known yet whether he
has q broken bone in his ankle"
And In the meantime the curious
bystander asks: miles? "A South
American? Isn't that more Of an Eng.
lish name?'
Exactly. An English name trans
planted to the other side of the world,
and established there in accordance
with the colonizing traditions of the
race. All five of the Argentine players
in this country at the present time are
of English descent, as q glance at their
names will reveal.
There are Luis l.. Lacey. John ID.
David Miles. all Argentines to the core
but carrying In their veins the old
sporting blood of England. Brought VI
on the wind-swept pampas OF the
| Platte, where children learn to ride be
| fore they can walk, il is small wonder
that they have acquired skill In this
horscman's game that has started thu
polo world.
Their game Is very distinctive. -
Captain Holmes pointed out. 18th,
thing which one notices first, of course
| is their custom of calling to each Other
on the field In staccato Spanish. They
ali speak excellent English. but 1t Is
more advantageous, you sec, to be able
to communicate with one another in
terms which the other side cannot
understand.
"They play very hard; and naturally
they ride Beautifully, They play bott
the man and the ball, and work vel
together. All their ponies are South
American mounts, bred and trained
there
But David Miles Is not the only one
who has suffered injuries on the field
CAPTAIN w. Lingard Goulding, of tn,
Irish team, was the victim OF an un
usual accident recently.
Thrown From Pony
While wheeling his pony in Quicl
turn he was thrown and came dowr
head first to the ground, striking thu
back of his neck upon the ball which
he had sought to hit with his mallet
The full effects Of his fall were no
apparent until the next morning, whei
he awoke to the realization that h
could remember nothing Of the match IL
which he was hurt. Subsequently HI
developed severe lumbago, which ha
kept him out of the game since.
"It's all in the game" continued
CAPTAIN Holmes. 'It's a hard, fas
game, and one must take his chances
of being hurt. I've seen two men killed
one by bad fall, and one by beini
struck on the head with a ball. Then
too, when so many mallets are flying
il is natural that some one should b.
hit once In a while. But ] fancy tina
almost any game has its hazards y
The scope of the undertaking, whiccl
has been so successfully handled, IL IL
bringing together seven full polo team
Tor competition, may gain soms rec