Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-16
A NOTABLE DISPLAY
RECENT AUTOMOBILE EXPOSE
TON AT BERLIN.
The Public Much Interested - Opened
by Prince Henry-Kaiser Ex-
amined the Machines.

Consul General Frank H. Mason writes
from Berlin to the Department of State as
follows regarding the recent automobile ex-
position in Germany:
The national German automobile exposi-
ton. which was opened with great eclat
at the Flora Garden in Charlottenburg on
the 9Th of March, has Just closed. 1t has
been in all respects the most interesting,
popular and successful exhibition of the
kind ever held in this country. Not only
has the display been representative and
UP to the best modern standard in respect
to quality. but for the first time in Berlin
the public has flocked to see it and taken
an active personal interest in the vehicles.
in the exhibitors. and especially in the
thrOngS of visiting automobile clubs and in
dividual "chauffeurs." who have possessed
the streets during the whole period of the
exposition. This latest display has suffered
less than the several preceding ones from
the fact that Berlin, with all it's wealth Of
handsome public buildings. has nothing
adapted to special popular show like an
automobile exhibition.
This exhibition, like those preceding, has
been the Joint enterprise of the Union of
German Motor Carriage Builders and the
German Automobile Club. a national Or
ganiZation made up of seventeen clubs To-
Gated at Strasburg. Bielefeld, Munich.
Coblenz, Dresden. Frankfort. Nuremberg,
Mannheim, Breslau, Aix-la -Chapelle and
two clubs at Berlin. These include among
their members substantially all Germans
who are interested in automobilism for
purposes of sport and recreation.
The exhibitors numbered this year us.
and are practically all German. the limited
space at command of the committee, as
well as other economic conditions, having
rendered impracticable an international dis
play
The unprecedented success of this years
exhibition has been due to q combination
Of fortuitous circumstances. For one thing.
the clouds of Industrial and financial de-
preston which have overhung the empire
during the past two years have finally be-
gun to lift, and the spring opens with fairer
prospects and Frightening skies. During
the past year the emperor and the whole
military department of the government
have become greatly interested in motor
vehicles for army purposes
The Kaiser Interested.
Prince Henry of Prussia has become a
devoted automobilist; he has made a men,
orable tour across the country In an Amer
lean locomobile. and personally opened the
exposition as the representative of the en-
peror, who was absent from the city, but
came day or two afterward and spent
several hours examining critically every
notable feature of the display. Moreover
the weather throughout the whole fortnight
of the exposition was favorable, and the
location, which it was feared would prove
too remote for popular success. turned out
to be decisive advantage.
For want of a better and more conven-
iently located building, the exhibition had
been established In the Flora" a large
suburban music garden restaurant in Char
lOttenburg. nearly three miles westward
from the Brandenburg gate and approach
ed by broad, asphalt-paved boulevard,
which formed an ideal exercise course for
the throng of visiting automobilists who
had assembled at the opening Of the show
to the number of 900 representing every
automobile club in Germany, and took part
In brilliant illuminated parade. which, on
the night of March 8. came in through the
Thiergarten, along the Linden, and was re-
viewed before the imp erial castle.
Nothing like this had ever been seen in
mobile. as an institution, seemed to take
on a new dignity and character. The limit
of speed within city limits is fixed by regu-
lations at twelve kilometers O.3 miles, an
hour. but during the past fortnight motor
carriages Of all types and dimensions. bear
ing the labels of clubs belonging to the ma
tional association. have whtzzed along the
boulevard between the Brandenburg gate
and the Flora at double or treble the pre-
scribed pace. and the police, for once in
their lives. have closed their eyes.
Standard Types Few.
The distinctive feature Of the exposition
Of this year. the point which cannot fail to
impress the most casual observer, is the
uniformity with which the latest and best
works Of all the great German builders
conforms to two or three standard types.
Last year. and especially two years ago,
there were several conspicuous novelties,
as, for instance, the combined benzine and
electric motor carriages. with which ambi-
uous inventors were seeking to create
wholly new types and find success by origi-
nal and untrodden paths. Motors were of
many kinds: some were carried forward,
some behind. others under the center Of
the vehicle.
There was a nearly even number Of cleo
trical and gasoline motors. with steam as
q promising third In the race. This year
nine-tenths of all the vehicles exhibited
have hydrocarbou motors. and, excepting
about GLASS; the whole display conformed
20 closely to established types that from
tho model alone q Visitor could hardly de-