RACING IN WAR TIME

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3187, 11 September 1917, Page 7

RACING IN WAR TIME

MAJOR-GENERAL SIR ANDREW RUSSELL'S VIEWS. , . Thi) following is 'an extract from a letter recently received by Mr. Percival, Witherby, of Napier, from General Russell, on the subject of racing. It will be seen that the General's views are based on tho necessity of maintaining tho development and efficiency-of the State in war time, and are expressed in .a broad-minded spirit which should do much to clarify the controversy as to ■whether racing should continue now, or 'cease. The matter being one Of public interest, Mr. Witherby sought, and Ims obtained the General's -consent to publication of the extract in full.

"You ask my views on racing? Personally, I- can see no objection to racing or people enjoying themselves . because we aro. fighting here. Lot us father go about-life'in-a cheerful spirit, and liofc with gloomy faces. lam afraid, though, there will be too many who, through personal grief, will no,t want to join, in. much festivities. But have you the men and tho time for racing? I can hardly believe it. Here ono sees, and bccau?e it is on a restricted area, and very thorough, the destruction war makes in a country. True, the urea affected by actual destruction as tho result of shellfire and.trench digging is, after all, very small, a mote nothing.! a Hn'n pencil line dnuvu on fho map, with hero and there a town. But what I think is not realised is the steady encroachment of Nniuro in a. thousand ways all over Europe. Weeds 'growing and increasing everywhere. I speak, of what I have soen. Roads deteriorating except perhaps ill' the-war' zone; drains getting choked; land impoverished for want of manure and efficient tillage. Even the, sea, as I have noticed in the Only seaside place I have been in, encroaching on the fronts. Of a, truth, Europe is eating her capital. Mainleunnco goes largely by the board for want of labour. "And isn't it tho same, though perhaps in a lesser degree, in New Zealand? r'or instance, are your roads, etc., being maintained, let alono extended and improved? If net. (here can be no time for all that racing implies. Every single man should bo doing his utmost for the common good. And if (hero is essential work to bo dono every Stable boy who is employed racing is in the wrong placo. This war is not. going to last for ever, and wo are going to race again, for sure. All work and no .play is a poor life—but just at present we havo got. to wnrk." ■