The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-01

mess until three minutes before his train
is scheduled to leave the railroad shed
messenger will call Mr. Understands
attention to the time and with incredible
swiftness the chief trust buster of the
administration is lying back in his linn
CUISINE rushing to the Union station in
open defiance of all speed regulations.
just before leaving for Chicago. where
he made a speech In defense of the Taft
administration, Mr.. Wickersham was
making one of his quick dashes for the
Union station. About four blocks away
from the department OF justice he was
halted by a bicycle policeman the delay
nearly causing him to lose his train. The
chauffeur told the policeman that he was
driving the attorney general to the rail-
road station. but that wasn't sufficient
explanation, the policeman had to see
who was in the car. Mr.. Wickersham
fearing he would be late for his train
looked out of the car and attracting the
policemans attention gave him the as
surance that he was In fact the attorney
general. Contrary to expectation that
policeman is still doing duty in the same
precinct.
Uncle joe Cannon, too. is reckless
driver. Many times while going down
Pennsylvania avenue at night and during
the day he has been stopped by police
men for exceeding the speed limit. Us
ually he gives them quite hard time
before stopping his machine and whisp-
ering the mystic words which absolve
him from arrest-"Speaker of the House
of Representatives" When in a hurry,
however, he minds not whether a bicycle
"cop" is chasing him ornot When he
strikes the foot of Capitol hill extra
speed is put on and by the time the po-
liceman reaches the House of Repre-
sentatives the offending chauffeur is
gone and Mr.. Cannon is grimly swinging
tho gavel in the House.
On one occasion Mr.. Cannon had to
temporarily lay aside his official duties
to obtain his drivers release from a po-
lice station The incident happened
while the speaker was in his car going
from the white House to the Capitol. He
was in a hurry and ordered his chauffeur
to hurry to the building on Capitol hill.
This he did with the result that three
cops at different points reported that
machine going down Pennsylvania av-
enue was violating the speed law. One
policeman. little sharper than the rest.
managed to get sight of the number.
Shortly after he made his report the
chauffeur was arrested and brought into
the station To all of his pleas the po-
Iiceman turned deaf ear Finally, how
ever they acquiesced to his request and
called UP Mr.. Cannon to inquire II he
were not his driver.
The sneaker was engaged In some I'M
portant legislation, but ascertaininF that
his chauffeur was in trouble dropped
congressional duties and went to his re-
lief. The man was released by the police
Immediately Not since that time, how
ever has any policeman attempted to IN
terfere with Mr.. Cannon or his chauffeur.
Thus during the time that Mr.. Taft has
been In the White House Mr.. Wicker
sham In the office of attorney general of
the United States and Mr.. Cannon enjoy
ing the privileges of an automobile fur
nished by the lavish hand of a generous
Congress, OFFICIALS of the departments
have unnualifedly termed them the Fly
ing squadron"
Notwithstanding the fact that these
three men enjov the right to the afore-
mentioned caption. certain senators and
representatives who have acquired auto
mobiles since their advent in Washing
ton are fast earning regulations that
would qualifvthem as members OF the
Giving squadron club"
Notably among the most prominent
statesmen who are constantly flying
around the city in their powerful ma
chimes are Vice President sherman, sena-
tors Aldrich of Rhode Island, Simon
Guggenhesm Of Colorado. w. Murray
Crane Of Massachusetts. Stephen r. Elk
ms of West Virginia. and Congressman
John w DWIGHT of New York. John NJ.
Noorhead of North Carolina. William VI.
Draper of New York and Edwin DENLY
of Michigan.
Senator Guggenheim. one of the smelter
kings. has the most beautiful as we'll as
the most powerful automobile of any SEN
ator Congressman DENLY has the small
est. Senator Guggenheims automobile
IL driven bv a French chauffeur, who
shares the box with footman.
Congressman DENLY drives his own car
and handles 1t with experience.