BASTARD SPORT AND BASTARD PATRIOTISM.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1916, Page 7

BASTARD SPORT AND BASTARD PATRIOTISM.

To the Editor. Sir,—l learn with deep disgust (other correspondents will no doubt correct me it I am wrong) that a pigeon-shooting match on a large scale is to he held at Stratford for "patriotic purposes," the phrase that as we have now learnt "covers a multitude of sins"; that some fiOO birds have already been secured for tiie slaughter, and that another 300 are expected . Your readers may not he aware, and some may shut their eyes to the fact, that such an event involves very great cruelty. All these prepared birds are not killed when they are shot. Many, badly wounded, escape into the bush and are never recovered. Pigeon-shooting was some years ago abolished at Hur[lingham, the fashionable resort of London sportsmen and sportswomen. The present Queen and Queen Alexandra set their faces strongly against it, their attitude being supported by a tremendous weight of public opinion. Pigeon-shoot-ing was then branded as ,■» "spurious" or bastard sport, aijid has be :ome quite discredited among decent people. In a case like the present, the larger the number of entries the greater the cruelty, for a very large number of tie competitors will bo only very moderate marksmen. The kind of patriotism which needs stimulating by a bastard sport is a bastard patriotism, and is one 'of those tilings that this or any other nation can well do without. I wish to make an energetic protest against this latest hypocritical and degrading effort after amusement under the cloak of patriotism,—l am, etc., . ALGERNON' H. COLVILE.