If, we will repeat, the foreign: amateur race clubs retain the lead in China racing, the evolution of the China pony will be retarded, but signs are not wanting that they will not, 'The Chinese have only-recently caught on to the dea of organized racing and, with the Kiangwan, Nankai. and' Nanyuan Clubs as examples, it will not be many years before every "fu" city in China has its Race Club. At present these clubs are largely influenced in their management. and rules by the foreign race clubs, many of whose members have aided their establishment, but as they progress we think they will be the Inst to legislate against the improvement of their own country's horseflesh. The few hundred dol-lays difference in price between a Mongol pony and a crossbred will mean nothing to rich Chinese owners, even though they should fain racing on an amateur racing should become alized in China the eross-without doubt supersede the China pony almost immediately.
Tt has been argued that the exossbreed is coming down from the north at the present time because of the effect of the great war. It is said that before the war they used to be in demand as cavalry mounts in the Tsarist, armies, but that the subsequent disorganization led to a falling off in the demand and that when the Russian armies are reorganized these crossbreeds will go north again into Russia. Such an argument reckons without the fact that horses are no longer considered of the first usefulness in modern warfare and that horseflesh was long ago largely superseded by motor-tractors tanks and other forms of mechanical transportation. If Trotsky's modern Soviet army cannot create a demand for crossbred cavalry mounts, we do not think any future Russian army will do any better. The gradual disappearance of the horse in peaceful pursuits will also contribute its effect on the demand for horses in Russia as elsewhere, If the foreign amateur race clubs retain the lead in racing in China no doubt, the evolution will be retarded. They are composed of a majority of men who are anxious to obtain the thrill incident to racing at a cost within their generally moderate purse With a few hundred taels the so-called "'small" owner can purchase China pony, of the pure Mongol type, and possibly win a race or two, with a few places. He undoubtedly gets his thrill and no -amount of reasoning will convince him that it is not worth the money he waster, To load or ride his pony and his silken colours past fan admiring and hand-clapping throng is worth to him all the excess gold he can accumulate between meetings. Transient public commendation, feminine admiration and masculine thumps on the back mean more to him than solid secur:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.