Publications, Newspaper Cuttings, Photographs and Correspondence about Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎281v] (563/879)

THE CIVIL & MILITAKY GAZ
SPORT AND THE STAGE.
(From Our Own Correspondent.)
London, Friday, April 25.
Epsom chalk, as we all know, is very objec
tionable in its dusty state when a June breeze
blows it over everything and through every
crevice, but when it is wet and sticky and
adheres to one’s boots it seems, if anything,
a shade worse. This was the state of affairs
on Tuesday when the Spring Meeting opened
under the least promising conditions one
could have imagined. A south-west wind,
rather gusty, and persistent rain all the morn
ing, diminished the attendance considerably,
but there was no actual rain after racing had
commenced, and towards,the finishit cleared
up and the sun came out. The weather did
not keep Royalty away from Epsom. The
King and Prince Christian had arranged to go,
and they went in defiance of the elements,
while among others in the reserved enclosure
were Lord Falmouth, Mr. Brassey and Lord
Durham (Stewards of the Jockey Club), Lord
Harewood, Lord Kilmorey, Lord Berkeley
Paget, Lord Carnauvon, Lord Coventry, the
Duke of Portland, Lord Essex, Prince
Soltykoft, Lord Chelsea, Lords Charles and
Marcus Beresford, the Hon. Hedworth Lamb
ton, the Hon. Humphrey Sturt,Captain Holford,
Mr. Sassoon, and Mr. Hedworth Barclay.
There was little of interest in the minor races,
and I may as well come at once to the Great
Metropolitan Stakes, which attracted fifteen
runners if, however, the field was up to the
average of recent years in point of numbers it
left a good deal to be desired in quality.
Herminius, Cateran Lad and Rambling Katie
have all been acclaimed as horses of high
class at different dates, but all are discredited
now. Black Sand, too, inspired great hopes
about this time last year, but they were never
fulfilled. He was now second favourite at
sixes from Wargrave despite his top weight
of 8 st. io lbs. The favourite had won the
Babraham Plate at Newmarket last week under
8st. 4 lbs.,and with 17 lbs. less to carry here was
quoted at fives. Scullion and Mannlicher at
100 to 12, and Congratulation at nines follow
ed these two in the betting. The last named
had won a small race at Kempton on Easter
Monday, beating Pellisson by three-quar
ters of a length when in receipt of 8 lbs.
The race was a pretty one, as that for the
Great Metropolitan Stakes usually is, but there
is very little to say about it. Congratulation,
who had the inside berth, quickly drew out
with a clear lead. She was never headed, and
in the end won in good style by a length from
Servitor, with Black Sand a length and a half
away third, just depriving Wargrave of place
honours. Mannlicher ran well without ever
being dangerous, but Scullion and Herminius
were beaten a long way from home. A few
brief showers in the morning—which, I be
lieve, did not extend to Epsom—and the
weather troubles of City and Suburban day
were over. The going was good and the coun
try looked all the better for the previous day’s
rain. It is, indeed, worth while going rac
ing just now for the sake of seeing the country
with the fruit blossom plentiful and the young
leaves on the trees coming along so fast
that one can almost watch them grow. Prac
tically all the distinguished people present on
the first day were again in evidence, and this
time the multitude came as well. Those who
could go to Epsom only once did well to
defer their visit until Wednesday, quite apart
from the weather. The field for the first
big handicap, as I have said, lacked quality,
bnt that of the twenty who ran for the City
and Suburban was exceptionally high. The
winners of last year's Two Thousand
Guineas, Derby and St. Leger, the winner of
two of the three 10,000 races of last year,
the winner of the previous City and
Suburban, the winner of the Liverpool
Autumn Cup, the winner of the Old Cam
bridgeshire and Derby Cup, the winner of the
Royal Hunt Cup, and a three-year-old who a
twelvemonth ago was quite at the top of the
tree made a really remarkable field : in fact,
it was only among the lighter weighted old
horses that one failed to find winners of
important races. Epsom Lad, as I believe I
mentioned in a previous letter, had been
under suspicion of unsoundness, but he turned
out with a bandage on the off fore. Volody-
ovski had been favourite for some time, but
in the previous day’s betting there had been
a run on The Solicitor who threatened to
displace not only Lavengro, who had just
half a point the better of him on Tuesday
night, but the favourite also. Lord Carnarvon’s
colt, it is true, was a little bit like Black Sand.
He had been fancied for big handicaps before,
and much money had been lost over him. In
spite of this the run continued when bet
ting on the course re-commenced, and finally
Volodyovski had to be content to share second
position with Floriform, the two being quoted
at sixes, while The Solicitor stood at a point
less. These prices you will notice were the
same as those of the first and second favour
ites for the previous day's race. Neither Volo
dyovski nor Handicapper appeared in the
paddock. Epsom Lad looked all right, and
went remarkably well in the canter, and Dori-
cles was fairly straight, while Australian Star
was full of life, and in the canter seemed very
light-hearted. Floriform, though a big, leggy
horse for Epsom, was well trained ; but no
one looked at Caiman, so often had he proved
a disappointment. First Principal, always a
handsome horse, was trained to the hour, and
The Solicitor was straighter than I ever saw
him. Royal George is ungainly, but was
nevertheless a well-trained horse. Lavengro
was big in condition, but Wabun looked well
and was certainly fit. Dundonald, a little
horse of the wire and whipcord type, hardly
filled the eye, but Baldoyle looked like going,
and more business-like than Transparency.
When the webbing ascended after some delay
Wabun was the first away, but on the fie d’s
settling down Portcullis drew to the front,
and carried on the running until a quarter of
a mile from home, when he was joined by
First Principal on the outside, who directly
afterwards assumed the command, followed
by The Solicitor. The efforts of the last named
to get on terms with Mr. S edall’s candidate
were of no avail, and First Principal passed
the post an easy winner by ti ree parts of a
length from Lord Carnarvon’s horse, with
Baldoyle, who must have made up a lot of
ground at the finish, third, and Royal George
fourth. Royal George, you will recollect, has
a habit of getting among the leaders but
without winning. Volodyovski, who had not
been doing much work, was twelfth and La
vengro seventh. In the latter and Sceptre we
have now seen two of what were Mr. Sievier’s
crack two-year-olds out. What will Duke of
Westminster be like ? He is being backed
for the Derby as second favourite to Ard
Patrick at a little less than sevens, but it is
said that Flying Lemur, despite last year’s
failure, will be the Kingsclere candida e. In
the Hyde Park Plate, Salute re-appeatred in
winning form, defeating by three-quarters of
a length a Melton filly of Mr. Musker’s from
Monte Rosa who shared favouritism with
Holme Lacey, a winner at Leicester.
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I referred in my last to the all round ex
cellence of the form shown by the competi
tors in this year’s Public Schools Racquets
Championship, and this feature became the
more apparent as the final stages were ap
proached. It will be remembered that the four
schools left in for the semi-final round were
Harrow, Winchester, Rugby, and Charter
house. The last-named, having drawn a bye
in the first round, and been given a walk-
over in the second, owing to the withdrawal
of Radley, were an almost unknown quantity ;
but this notwithstanding, the ultimate issue
was by common consent regarded as lying
between Harrow and Rugby, with the former
for choice. The Winchester boys (L. E. Par-
sens and A. C. Johnston) had played so well
in the preliminary rounds that they were at
least expected to give the Harrovians some
trouble, and their defeat, therefore, by four
games to one, served still further to empha
size the excellence of G. A. Phelips and C.
Browning, the Harrow pair. The first game
was secured by the Harrovians without much
trouble at 15-12. In the second the Wykhamists
warmed to their work,and held their opponents
well, the scores being even at 5, 12, and 13, but
Harrow won the set to five, and were two
games to the good. In the third Johnston put
in some capital work, and by means of useful
runs of 4, 5, and 3, won the only game for his
side at 15-8. In the next two games the Har
row boys were always in front, and without
over-exerting themselves won them both at
15-10, and so qualified to meet either Rugby
or Charterhouse in the' final. The round be
tween these two schools was disappointing,
as the Carthusians, G. T. Branston and W. J.
Curwen,—both last year’s players—proved to
be hopelessly outclassed. They are a power
ful couple, but hard hitting went for but little
with the science of the clever little Rugbeans,
—K. M. Agnew and G. V. Nesbitt. The latter
won at 15-8, 15-10, 15-3, and 17-14 after a
set, by four games to love.
The final, last Friday afternoon, proved
one of the best tussles of the whole competi
tion. In the end, and as anticipated, Harrow
won by four games to two, but there was
certainly nothing suggestive of disgrace about
Rugby’s beating. Indeed, after losing the
first three games they played up so pluckily
that they captured the fourth and fifth, whilst
the sixth, until half way through, was any
body’s match. It was stamina, apparently,
that told, and the more sturdy Dark Blue boys
outstaying their lighter rivals won the game
with comparative ease, and thus the rubber
(15-8, 15-11, 15 9, 9-15, 8-15, and 15-9). Cer
tainly better play in a Public Schools meet
ing has not been seen for many years, and
both Gray, the Rugby coach, and “ Judy ” Ste
vens of Harrow have every reason to be
proud of their charges. Browning and Phe
lips were undoubtedly the best balanced
pair in the tournament, and may fairly be
said to have won on their merits. The
crowded state of the gallery of the court at
Queen’s Club at every stage of the com
petition afforded gratifying testimony to the
enduring popularity of the meeting ; at the
conclusion of which a couple of presentation
racquets were handed to the happy winners
and a loving cup was passed round the pavi
lion.
According to the calendar the first-class
cricket season opened yesterday with a match
between the London County Club and Surrey
at the Crystal Palace, and as the Football
Association Cup Tie is to be replayed there
to-morrow, visitors may very possibly be af
forded the somewhat rare opportunity of see
ing the great summer and winter games
being played simultaneously and side by side.
But the fact is, until we are well into May
interest in cricket is chiefly anticipatory.
And in this respect indeed the outlook seems
uncommonly bright. The “ star ” attraction,
of course, will be the Australians, who, with
one or two exceptions, arrived in London this
week. They are all fit and well, and com
mence practice at Lord’s next Monday, by
which time the party will be complete. Dari- I
ing, who again captains the team, has, one
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in Asia will DC pararyseu, an——------
" a costly and exhausting war, from which,
even if victors, we ean gain nothing.”
However that may be, the essential point
to be considered is the value of the in
terests threatened. The objection that op
position to Russia may eventually mean
war in which we may be defeated, and
in any case can gain nothing, may be
quite true, but it is not an argument of
real prudence. When a man holds a pis
tol to your head and demands your money
or your life, it is certain that if you do
not yield you will have to fight, and, in
addition to the chance of being worsted, you
have to remember that, even if successful,
you can get nothing out of your assail
ant. The question is, however, whether you
can afford to yield, and, further, whether,
if you do, you will not be subjected to
more depredations in the future. Of
course, the Spectator would declare this
to be a false analogy. Russia, it would
say, demands from us nothing that we
already hold ; all that she wants is
an open road and freedom for her
purposes in Western Asia. It is just
here that the difference arises between
those who believe in retreating before
Russia’s expansion and those who do
not. Arc our interests in the status
quo valuable or not, are they worth the
paralysing diplomatic struggle and the ex
hausting war which the Spectator fears,
or are they so inconsiderable that we
may surrender them without a sigh ?
It is true that we do not want south
ern Persia as territory, but it is less
indisputable, as our contemporary contends,
that our trade interests there are not worth
a quarrel. We are told that " we could
obtain more trade in India by improving
the means of communication, and especi
ally the rivers, which we neglect, than we
could build up in ten Persias.” We can
not now go into the question of utilis
ing Indian rivers as means of communi
cation, but it may be questioned whether
the abandonment of existing markets is
a necessary preliminary to improving In
dian trade. Everyone believes in the de
velopment of the trade of India and the
policy of opening up the country by rail
ways is at last beginning to justify itself.
But India must have markets for her pro
ducts and she will not find them where
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to Tersia ipoon-poons meears Ul an
who write with so much knowledge and
enthusiasm about the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .” There
is a certain class of mind in England which
is not only confident of its ability to form
sound opinions on foreign affairs with a mi
nimum of local knowledge, but which re
sents arguments based on local knowledge,
" The man who has been there," in other
words, is often a bete noir to the stay-at-
home politician whose views are founded
on general principles. The Spectator is
usually superior to this form of weakness
and it certainly never speaks with dis
respect or impatience of opinions founded
upon personal acquaintance with the count
ries or localities concerned. In the mat
ter of Persia, however, it does seem to
reflect the attitude of those English pub
licists who think themselves competent
to pronounce judgment without under
standing or, at any rate, appreciating the
issues involved. The people who believe
in offering opposition to Russia’s schemes
in Persia are not, as it pretends, megalo
maniacs and expansionists at any price ;
they are people who have studied the
question in all its bearings and " upon
the spot,” who have watched Russia’s
advance in Asia, who understand her
methods and her aims, who arc especially
alive to the interests of India in their
relation to the Persian question.
Coronation Addresses.—A correspondent
writes to the Englishman :—The suggestion comes
rather late, but I venture to point out the absur
dity involved in the presentation of caskets to His
Majesty on the occasion of his Coronation. Imagine
the number of towns and communities in the Em
pire that will send such gifts accompanied by ad
dresses to His Majesty, and you will realise how
impossible it will be for the Royal eye to read the
professions of loyalty or inspect the cases in which
they are contained. These exhibitions of ap
preciation for the sovereign’s rule are only pro
per, but it is their form and shape I object to.
How much more appropriate, instead of spend
ing five thousand rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. upon a silver box, would
it not be to send his Majesty a cheque for the
amount with an expression that he would em
ploy it for such charitable objects as he might
elect. It would please the King better and would
be productive of some benefit. It would be
interesting to total all the presentation caskets the
King has received during his lifetime, and to cal
culate the space they would occupy. If there is
still time for some of the cities and communities
in India to change their mind, I hope they will
consider my suggestion and shape their gifts in a
form which, if His Majesty could only speak, would
। far better please him than thousands of useless
| caskets.