Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-24

got a high-power motor and does very
successful run regularly at week ends out
side of London at about fifty or fifty-five
miles an hour. He has thus far lodged
the police, but has had several accidents
and once plowed up long length of side
walk in a provincial town.
The remarkable stratagems to which the
jealous representative of law and order is
reduced in order to catch the wicked mo-
torist have time and again been the sub
ject of indignant protest. The most sue
ceSsful plan appears to be to measure a
mile or a fraction of a mile on some nice
level, unfrequented stretch of country road
and to time the speedy car from point to
point by means-sucn is the scrupuouS ac-
curacy of police evidence-of stop watches
Certain tempting lengths of road in va
riouS parts of the country have become no.
torious for the number of cases which
they furnish, and one of these was referred
TO in court by the police by the suggestive
title OF "Catchem Corner Here police
man, disguised as a yokel, signaled TO con-
cealed colleagues farther along the road
whenever car passed at what appeared
to be over the legal limit of speed. and
heavy crop of summonses is the result.
Many Entries in London-Oxford Run.
Two hundred and thirty cars, the largest
number ever assembled in Britain took part
yesterday in the Automobile Clubs ami
versary run from London to Oxford. But
greasy road and a blizzard proved too much
for many of the cars, and these turned tail
at Richmond Park. The hundred which
completed the journey had some good fun
at the policemanS expense. ConSta beS
were plentifully sprinkled along the road
side, though the run was In no sense
race, and both the laws of the land and the
rules of the road were rigidly enforced by
the club officials. The disappointed faces
of the policemen contributed largely to the
humors Of the road. In all cases traps
were located before being reached, the
country people. far from being hostile to-
ward the motorists, going out as scouts In
advance and warning the procession when
danger lay ahead.
Across the street of one village hung
line supporting a consta bes helmet and
board bearing the legend, Beware of the
Police On one occasion constables in
plain clothes were pounced upon, ignomin-
iously dragged from behind hedges and
thanked. An amusing hoax, however, was
worked upon the Automobiles. Two
youths. standing at the limit of supposed
40 yards, brandishing a card printed with
the words, Police Trap" the whole pro-
cession crawled painfully over the distance,
only to find they were the victims of
wholesale practical joke. The motorists
were enthusiastically received at Oxford.
1t is noteworthy that Of the f100.000 worth
of cars, so per cent were of British manu-
facture.
Walls of Old Abbey Unearthed.
A most interesting archaeological 'discov-
cry has been made in Bermondsey. While
digging founda tons in Abbey street the
workmen found ma sonry belonging to the
ancient abbey of Bermondsey. In 1852 a
monastery was founded in Bermondsey by
Alvin Childs, an eminent and wealthy citi-
zen of London. 1t at first alien
foundation, being dependent on the Cluniac
priory of La Chart e-sur-La Loire. 1t grew
rapidly in Importance, however, was made
a 'DaniZen' monastery in 1880, and in 1899
was erected into an abbey. AT that time
it had attained such Importance as to justi-
fly the appeliation Of Westminster of South
London
In 1887 the abbey surrendered to Henry
VIII, and the site was granted to the
master of the rolls Sir Robert South
well. The latter Immediately conveyed the
estate to Sir Thomas Pope, who demol-
ished the old conventual church and with
the materials built Bermondsey House
The house afterward came into possession
OF Thomas, Earl of Sussex, who on sew
elal occasions entertained Queen Elizabeth
there.
the gates and ruined walls Of the abbey re-
manned, and the north gate house, which
led into Bermondsey Square, was standing
in 1905. In Grange Walk there are still to
be seen the last remains of the last gate
way the hooks in which the gate was hung
still remaining in their original position.
In addition to the pieces of masonry there
have also been unearthed a few bronze
coins, token dated 1855, and a broken
crucible containing pieces of glass.
New Book on America.
A new book on America has been pub
lished by NJ. Emile Boutmy, member of the
Institute of France, director Of the High
School of Political Sciences, well known for
his philosophical lectures and works, and
who has a great many followers among
the young French generation The book is
entitled Political Psychology of the Amer
lean People" 1t studies the formation of
the United States; how its people came to
the idea Of fatherland and to the conscious
ness of being a state, by which secret in
f1uences the idea of future life became so
greatly extended and diversified hand in
hand with the political growth. NJ. Boutmy
thinks that American democracy has need
of counterbalance without which it is in
danger of a popular despotism The actual
multiplication of electoral mandates will
not be a sufficient remedy against this
danger. Writing on Imperialism he thinks
it will last and develop itself in the United
States as the effect of deep causes but
without damaging the American traditions
whose consequence it is. The book is of
primary interest to Americans as manifest
Ing the ideas of one of the most distin-
guished men of Latin mentality.
L. H. MOORE