A HARVARD POLO TEAM?

The Intercollegiate Polo season opened Saturday, when Yale played West Point in the first of a series of games which will probably develop into a league schedule;--with Harvard left out, however, because she has no team. Penn, Princeton, Yale and Cornell, all maintain teams as part of their Field Artillery courses, but Harvard is at present unable to do so.

Polo is one of the most expensive games in the world; both for initial investment and upkeep. Good ponies cost $200 apiece and more: a field 150 to 200 yards long is required: the ponies must be provided with stables and food.

As far as the ponies and their forage is concerned, the solution is simple. The government will contribute $190 apiece for 21 ponies, to be used by the students in college Field Artillery R. O. T. C. Units. It will also pay for their upkeep: food and care. The college has only to provide stables, and a playing field.

About $1200, raised by private subscription from graduate polo enthusiasts, in addition to the government allowance, would enable the purchase of an excellent string of ponies, not of the best possible type, but entirely satisfactory for a college team. This is what Yale has done.

These ponies could not be stabled at the Commonwealth Armory, because of lack of space. In order that they might he well eared for by the enlisted detachment of the Unit, they would have to be stabled with the other horses of the R. O. T. C. This would necessitate stables for about 100 horses, quarters for 40 men, and a playing field.

In addition to the recently acquired strip of land on the riverbank, there is a considerable amount of waste space in the Soldiers Field area available. Either of these places could be developed into a good polo field, at a moderate cost, with space enough left for the necessary stables.

The best way of looking after the stable problem, would be the erection of some permanent buildings to house the enlisted detachment and the horses. The expense of this, however, would be prohibitive at present, without contributions by interested graduates. Princeton last year, faced by the same difficulty, converted some barracks built by the government during the S. A. T. C. period, into stables. These now house their Artillery Unit's horses, equipment, and polo ponies. The work was done by the enlisted detachment stationed there, assisted by a few carpenters provided by the college, which bore what slight expense there was. Major Goetz believes that it would be possible to transfer some of the unused temporary stables now at Camp Devens to Soldiers Field, and set them up with but little outside help from carpenters. This expense and the incidental cost of building supplies would probably be all that the college would be expected to bear. The greater part of the work could be done by the enlisted detachment during the summer. Whether this plan is adopted or not, some action that will give Harvard a polo team is highly desirable. The government is offering a great opportunity to college men to learn to play polo. A small fraction of its initial cost presents the only obstacle. The government has done all possible through the Military Science Department to establish polo here. Whether or not there will be a team depends entirely on the college.