New-York tribune., 1909-10-04
COMMENT ON SPORTS
AUTO LUST FOR SPEED.
NesCs and VicscS on Current Topics,
amateur and Professional.

amateur and Professional.
One more life was sacrificed 10 tho lust for speed
fn the race for the Long Island Automobile Derby
Wednesday. but it viii not put an end 70 con-
tests Of the kind any more ,lan did the pitfu ac-
cidents which marred the racing at Indianapolis
last summer when men paid the penalty.
That wholesale slaughter would have made one
pause, under ordinary circumstances, TO arrange
and plan for other where extreme speed is the
single object. but the demand for publicity on the
part OF manufacturers and the atiractton-one might
say craze-for fast driving on the part Of certain
weigh TOO strongly in the balance. Road rae
ing has done much for the development OF the auto
mobile in tfis country and abroad according 10
those who are best qualified to express an opinion.
and there is question about tests OF extreme
speed being great attraction for the masses. But
the time has come when the need test the
liability and mechanical efficiency of the IS
past and when the desire for publicity and the
gate" outweighs all other considerations. Last
winter there much talk Of the automobile gov
srning body putting a ban track racing. but 10
ali appearances the pressure too strong, and
another twenty-four-hour race the Brighton
Beach track is at hand and, in all probability more
sreWsoule accidents There may be some excuse
for road racing over properly prepared circuits.
but none so far as I see. for wild flights a
mile track. when it has become necessary not only
10 provide but advertise that a well equipped hos
ptal corps viii be in attendance
Oven while making a protest against certain
forms OF automobile racing. ] cannot help but call
attention once more TO the remarkable speed. ef-
hciency and reliability of the modern motor car,
emphasized in the race last Wednesday. when a
So-bOTsepower machine OF stock model broke all
American Fos6 race records, not excepting those
MADE by the highest powered racing cars. built for
speed ana speed alone Louis Chevrolet covered
als miles IN ~ minutes 50 30 seconds developing
a speed of slightly more than seventy miles
hour, which made the marks established in the
Grand Prize and Vanderbilt Cup races last year
aook small by comparison. remarkable per-
sormance, not only for the but FOR the driver.
and there were other machines and other drivers
Ehst did almost as well. Except for the fatal ac-
cident, the cause for which viii never be known,
rhe race, from the point Of View the automobile
END the manufacturer, the most successful In
seeent wears II looked some time ago as If tho
simit Of speed had been reached over an ordinary
soountry road but seems now a. II there is sin
s1lore power tucked away somewhere TO be brought
out by some daring driver under favorable condi-
HionE.
Owners and trainers are not doing their part 20
fhelp the Mestehester Racing Association maintain
raeing on plane necessary 10 attract followers
sf The sport Those who plead The loudest for six
days week. IN order that the chances winning
q purse might he increased arc now the first 10
Withdraw their support. Rig fields are not abSo-
futelv necessary for tho strength of 4 programme
but II Is important thai they shoud hc well bal
races last week due iargely n nc fsnt trst q,
owners and trainer for some reason hard to
plain, not willing send their horses out un-
ss an Tnfor15sta oI5i+i, i ia ee ~ "ti'iIlg f ~
- rie Nestcbeefer T2srire AssoCia,o1, 1 ti.o
who 20 TO the track
chief interest ~ Belmont Park thus week centres
sn the running of the 7arhor HiI CUP Steeplechase
snd the Belmont Park Weight for Age race on sat
lIrday. although the winners o.: both are already
l'eius proclaimed on All sides Thomas Hitchcock,
5r-. appears 10 have the Hsrbor Hill cup and the
prize of something more Than $500 which goes with
s., safely Won. barring accidents with Clockwork
The ogden three-y year-old which outran and out
9uInped such brilliant chaser 2 Thistledale and
in such impressive fashion FRIDAY - has
no' been my pleasure 10 see such a remarks ble
Performance 10y p green jumper IN the last ten
years. and unless an signs fail CIockEork viii de
Velop Of fhe greatest jumpers IN the his
tory of Inc sport a.. Hildreths great three-yesr-
old F7tz Herbert. bich has twelve Of
1hirteen races this year. including the Suburban
Handicap and the Lawrence Realization Stakes Is
the horse which Is generally picked 70 win the
I3slmont Park Weight for Age race. A. two miles
snd quarter His only Tfvsl worthy Of mention
s. Olsmbala. ~ vhich he pounds and =
beating on "Wednesday. I'm The coming race they
snust meet ~ even weights, but II must be for
gotten that The distance is further and that Olam
hsla Is the kind of horse which is quite likely 70
eheN - netief advantage over distance Of ground
Last winter r7uoh Was said and written abou,
she Western Golf Association seeding from tho
national body sn6 threats were made that unless
fhe United States Golf Association did thus and
general uprising ~ ould follow. Since then
sittle has neen heard concerning Il revolution i'm
Eolhng circles, ana noW The American Golfer.
= magazine edited hv Walter ). Travis, comes ont
with what II Is pleased call tho dsilusionnent.
an told on Cood AUTHORITY that Walter J. Travis
when he PLAYED m tho amateur championship tour
nsneut IN Chicago. made il point find ont how
!. the feeling among representative golfers in
The West that tho following editorial comment
r. The American Go'fcI' is deserving Of much
Vcrodence.
In Tie East the idea has prevailed that the ycst
IS and has been bitterly opposed the control OF
1lational affairs the hands United states
Coli Association n is r1lc tlIt 1,ere i,as - =
good deal of excited talk along these lines. II
must not re forgotten, however. that a babbling
brook makes more noise Than mighty river The
naked truth develops that thc policy the West
- eTo.l Association which has found expression
IN ssssfnng the parent body ia adopting rules
ol lts own winch are II certain respects incon-
ls4 lHie Mlth each other and 1T variance with the
st Andrews rules and IN endeavoring to create
sectlohai ai,inosIty, Is not approved by any single
Felae'entailVe western golfer.
The golfers the West and Southwest Is,.e
beel sttlns Al the knees OF false gods. they have
10 fin6 il out Ard The ne =, qsJ Rgsinnlns
Who. for the most TaIt. Influenced more b,,
s,'islnei- t"ns Of personal sgsrandizeucut rather
futes she lJes' interests OF the game-tbez TOO
see The Handwriting on the wall As witness tI,s
5estlhHlhs "a lcW daNs ago of the rule repsrdU.,
II is open question Whether the Iyeeter,, " S:sI,
non has Dot outliyed its usefulness 1,IfIc
y fLoalu not olsDand, and there be formed in
slfs,d- say aH Illinois golf association There i.
~ ifflt room on necessity for existence az !.
western golf association tI8n for an lssSfatt.
Sosocallon i<Irge organizations Of tbfs Kind a..
apl 20 breed sectional bitterness 81 fcoIir.. M a. a.
come narrow and lnsular in tleir views and bayc
~ - m~A