Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-02
BENNDTTCUP RAGE.
International Auto Contest Started at
 Kildare.

KILDARE, Ireland, July 2.-The race for the international cup was started over the Irish course. The twelve pow erful racing machines, representing France, England, Germany and the United States, left the starting point, near the BallycuIlen crossroads, at in- tervals of seven minutes. At half past o'clock two pilot automobiles left to clear the course. Popular opinion ia vors either Gabriel on a Mors or Jarrot on a Napier machine as the winner, with Foxhan Keene looked upon as a dangerous competitor on his Mercedes.
 The Americans are regarded as the dark horses in the race. All the con- testants agree that owing to the sharp turns and marrow roads skill as much as speed will be the important factor.
 The weighing of the racing cars at Naas resulted satisfactorily for the American competitors, but badly for two of the French automobiles, though the latter's overweight appar- ently was partly due to defect in the weighing machinery and the lack of an official standard for reducing Eng 1ish measures torethe metric system. M. Gabriel has replaced Henry Four nier in the French contingent, and M. Genatzy will take the place of H. Braun in the German trio. The four competing teams are therefore:
 England-S. F. Edge, c. Jarrott and J. W. Stocks. M ".. ,-
 France-Chevalier R. de Knyff, M. Farman and M. Gabriel.
 America-A. Winton, P. Owen and L.. F. Moers. .3r ,,-,...--
 Germany de Caters, Foxhall Keene and M. Genatzy.
 The race will be finished this after noon, but the results may be in doubt until Friday. The complicated system of stopping the cars at the controls at the entrance of the towns of Carlow, Castledermot, Athy, Kildare, Monas- terevan and Stradbally and deducting the time taken in passing through the towns, the speed in which must not exceed about fourteen miles an hour, has been shown by experiments to re- suit in great confusion, and unless the race is better managed than the re- hearsai the winner will not be known until Friday and even then will be the subject of controversy. There was some talk of abandoning at the last moment the more complicated features of the timing system. +.
 More police than have been seen in any district of Ireland since the days of the Phoenix park murders are pa trolling the course. The dust raised by the racing machines adds a great element of danger to the contest. Hen " Norman, M. F., who was present as an Automobile club official said there was a general feeling that the Amer ican competitors might come to grief if they attempted to cut the corners too close Messrs. Winton, Moers and Owen are regarded rather as the dark horses in the race, but neither of them is much fancied. Jarrott and Gabriel figure as favorites. There is little or no betting.
 FoxhaIl Keene on his German car is expected to take all the chances that the extraordinarily narrow roads and the numerous curves afford.
 For the moment all central Ireland is given up to the motors, whose vaga- ries and colors are no less markable than the babel of tongues emanating from their occupants. French and German visitors are everywhere mo- ticeabie, and this greatly increases the bewilderment of the Irish peasants, who for the most part have now taken the safe side of the hedge.