Letters to the - Editor PERFORMING ANIMALS [To the Editor of

the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—The Earl of Lonsdale has requested me to forward the enclosed copy of correspondence and to ask if you would kindly publish it in the Spectator.—I am, • Sir, &c.,

Lowther, Penrith. F. CLARKE.

[COPY OF LETTER FROM THE HONBLE. STEPHEN COLERIDGE•

The Ford, Cobham. December 26th, 1930.

DEAR LORD LONSDALE,— • Several members of the R.S.P.C.A. have written to me drawing my attention to the inconsistency of your public support of the circus at Olympia whereat many animals are displayed performing unnatural tricks—one of which is that of a tiger riding on a saddled horse—and your remaining a Vice-President of the R.S.P.C.A., which is officially sup- porting the Bill to prohibit performing animals being exhibited in this country.

I think very possibly you may have forgotten that you are a Vice-President of the R.S.P.C.A. and that the rather conspicuous inconsistency of your position has not occurred to you. I am afraid you are too- public a character to escape adverse public comment when next the members of the R.S.P.C.A. meet together unless you voluntarily abandon one or other of these contradictory positions.

I hope you will forgive my mentioning this little matter now which I do entirely in a courteous spirit. No one,

certainly not I, can dispute your perfect right to support anything you like, but I am sure you yourself must, on consideration, perceive the inconvenience of publicly sup- porting both sides of a serious controversy. The conspicuous position you hold in the country makes the matter important which, with others, would be of no matter.

[COPY OF LETTER FROM THE EARL OF LONSDALE, K.G.] Lowther, Penrith.

December 30th, 1930. DEAR MR. STEPHEN COLERIDGE,

Thank you for your letter, which I most certainly accept in the spirit that inspired the writing and sending of it. I do not know—how can I ?—if it is a letter written on your own initiative or prompted by the R.S.P.C.A.; but it makes but little difference really. - You are right : I did not realize that as a Vice-President I was supporting a Bill to prohibit performing animals in this country. Such was never my intention where such performances did not involve any cruelty, for I possess several animals which do all sorts of tricks and all from original inclination developed by encouraging them to do them.

Your hint. that adverse public comment carries no fear or resentment on My; part is true. We are all entitled to our own feelings and thoughts. My personal feelings are, and have always been, in the interests of animals, and it matters not one jot to me if your Society think they wonld.prefer my name removed from theHA of Vice-Presidents or Membership --there are always two views of everything: Personally, I should have thought that having been connected with animal life, as I have been, for many years the fact of my presiding at the Circus (where I went into every possible detail- of what went on) was rather conducive- to the interests of the R.S.P.C.A., as being a member who Went into detail and saw no' cruelty was employed. You appear to think otherwise. Which is right ? I have no intention, in this sole wish to maintain shows where cruelty does not exist, of 'ceasing to continue my Presidency of- the Olympia Circus.- .I have no wish to take my name off the R.S.P.C.A., for L do not see that the two positions are not compatible. Your Society was formed to prevent cruelty. My Presidency at Olympia is • exactly the same. I . decline to vacate either. But if your Society wish to erase my name—well, there it is, and 1 shall-

bear no one ill.will. .. • - - • - - --. - The idea of any cruelty as to the tiger and the horse is too

absurd for words. The horse is miserable without the tiger. You may not know that most of the lions and tigers employed for the turns have been bred for several generations originally in Dublin, and when three days old are taken from their mothers and fostered by collies, retrievers and Spaniels. There is nothing in the least cruel of any sort, class,. or description, in the performance of the tiger and the .horse. Curiously enough, the tiger was born in the horse's stable, and they have been the greatest of friends from the time the tiger was just like a little cat. It was brought up by a- eat' and lived with the horse all its life and began jumping on the horse's back when quite a little kitten, and has done so ever since. Although it looks strange, it does so every day, and the horse is, as I have already stated, miserable without it. I have known both the horse and the tiger for some considerable time, and they are most amusing in the stable.

There are many horses, especially racehorses, that have a cat always in their boxes, which always sits on the horse's back, and the cat travels with it. Were it not to do so the horse would not lie down and would fret all night. In two cases it is a goat. I do not believe these horses would produce their proper form if separated from their permanent companions. The same with the tiger and the horse, which are never more happy than when in each other's company in or out of the arena. And what can be more interesting to children than to see two animals of different breeds having a friendship not caused by cruelty, but by accidental friend- ship ? I have seen a sheep-dog bitch suckling lambs : I have seen a spaniel suckling kittens ; I have seen pheasants brooding chickens ; I have seen partridges brooding curlews, and I have seen a tiger (brought back by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales ; it was a great friend and constant companion of mine and always loose and lived in my room) guarding swans at Temple. How you can account for all these peculiarities I do not venture to explain, but they exist. I had a fox that lived in the Kennels at Brigstoek, and the hounds loved it and always made way for it at feeding time—all similar cases to the horse and tiger.

I cannot help thinking it would largely enhance the Society's aims and objects if they spent a little more of their funds in applying their, time and finance in the investigation of continual cruelty on the roads with overladen wagons and work on some agricultural farms rather than taking exception to certain acts in public performances, which evidently they do not understand, solely for the purpose of advertisements to catch the eye of the public in the hope of gaining funds.

Wishing you and all connected with the Society the happiest and most prosperous of New Years, Yours very truly,

LONSDALE,