Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-21
JOHN BULL RAKES
EMPIRE FOR STARS
Primes for Year and Opens
Purse in an Effort to
Whip America.
BY PETER VISCHER,
Editor of Polo.

n 7 EW YORK, August 21.-
M Great Britain has called
her sons from the ends of
the earth for her challenge
of American polo supremacy.
Never has the old adage, "Once
an EngliShman, always an Eng
lishman," been more Strikingly
illustrated, for England has rail-
lied to the colors her best players
in India, Ireland, Argentina
even America-in fact, as the
British team stands today there
Is only one Englishman on. it.
Britain has made two spectacular and
costly attempts to retrieve the precious
old Westchester Cup since Devereux
Milburn led an American team to vic
tory over the war-shattered English
team in 1921 Each ended in defeat
and dismay Not only were the British
teams swept from the field by the force
of the American blows, but so badly
disorganized were the Britons that their
spirit was all but broken.
Prepared for Year.
This time the Britons took full year
TO prepare their American invasion.
They brought the three best players in
India to England to try for the team.
They sought out the sensational
Lewis Lacey in Spain, where he was
playing polo with the King, and in
duced him, as born Canadian, to COM
pete once more for Britain, though he
was a full-hedged Argentinan in 1928.
They sent to Ireland for the dashing
Capt. Pat Roark; and they brought
home to promising young Britons who
were making their mark in the speedy
American game.
They gave the reins of leadership into
entirely new hands. No one had ever
heard of Capt. Charles Tremayne as
leader in polo. though he had distin-
guished himself as a leader Of men in
the war. But he was selected by the
powers of British polo to choose
team, regardless of previous record, ira
dition or social prestige. That he was
q comparative unknown was the great
advantage in his favor, for it meant
that he was outside the turmoil of Lon
don politics, to which the bizarre in
trigue of ancient Eastern courts is as
child's play.
Horses Cost Plenty.
At a considerable cost Great Britain
collected a string of SO OF the greatest
polo ponies ever assembled under one
stable roof, string which may be con-
SefVatlVely valued as worm SzoO,UUU.
The best thoroughbred blood in Eng
land, ireland and Argentina was called
upon to supply the four-footed players
of the British team.
After a series of bitterly contested
trials in England, in which most Of the
original British candidates were dis
carded, team WAS selected and sent on to
America. Under the leadership of Capt.
Tremayne 1t consists of Capt Richard
George at No. /, Gerald Balding at No.
2, Capt. Roark at No. and Lacey at
back, with Alden Roark and Humphrey
p. Guinness as substitutes.
George is the most aggressive young
player in India. He came here in 1927
to try to help Britain win back the
Westminster Cup, made great impress
sion as a scrapper, and finally was
counted out with broken collarbone.
Balding is big, powerful Englishman,
with all the virtues Of reliability and all
the disadvantages that go with lack
of brilliance He is well known in
America, as for for the last few years
he has been the polo coach at the Rum
son Country Club, along the picturesque
Shrewsbury In New Jersey.
ROark Stands Out.
Roark is the outstanding figure on
the British team. A temperamental