Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03
DEAD KING STRONG
ADVOCATE Of AUTO
Edwards Influence Helped to
PopuIarize Modern Form of
Transportation in England
WAS PATRON OF AUTO CLUB
Two Cars Always Were Taken on
Pleasure JauntS to Avoid
Delay on Road
WAS PATRON OF AUTO CLUB

1t has been well known that the late
king of England was almost from the
introduction of motor driven cars a
user of the new method of transporta-
ton, but that his influence helped
greatly in popularizing the automobile
in England may not be so generally
understood Full credit to the dead
monarch is given in a recent issue OF
the Field of London in an article re-
viewing his connection with sport in
general.
"A patron of the r. A. c. from the
beginning, his majesty's interest in us
and our doings never waned. He fore
saw that mechanical traction must
prevail and he did not fear to adopt
il at a moment when ridicule was be-
ing heaped upon it and even its best
friends despaired. We believe we are
correct in saying that Lord Montagu
first called his late majesty's attention
to the coming of the car, and was the
very first who drove him in an auto
mobile However that may have been
the work he undertook so willingly was
done to great profit.
1.-THE interest excited so early shows
bv the splendid Daimler cars built for
the kings use will be we'll remem-
bered, and following these there was
the well known Mercedes, which he
used both in England and on the con-
tinent, but more particularly when
abroad Nor was Queen Alexandra
behind him in interest, for she herselt
drove a car in the grounds at Sand
ringham and was unfailing in her pat
ronage.
king Edward never took to the
omen car. Apparently he disliked it
very much and he almost invariably
patronized the limousine. He liked to
travel fast and invariably did so. Of
course, his cars were always driven
with the greatest regard for other users
of the road-consideration for others
was practiced by him in the smallest
detail of his life-but when the road
was clear and open the great Daimlers
were called upon to do their best, es-
pecially upon the journey to New
market.
1.-TWO cars were always taken. In case
of breakdown or puncture, and there
was more than one instance when ooth
were required, though his majesty
never had a really serious mishap.
Usually the police were informed OF
any journey re contemplated, ana
when he was driving to Newmarket
the road would speak eloquently of the
precautions which We're taken. On
his part he was a man of splendid
nerve. and those who had the oppor-
tunity to tell him of anything new in
the world of mechanics found in him
a most patient listener.
Perhaps none of us rightly under
stand how much we owed to him. It
was natural that society should have
turned up its nose at this new thing,
at the roaring, rafting, evil smelling
cOntraption which it was assured was
about to drive the horse from the high
road Hideous in shape, uncomfortable
beyond all words, so built in its body
that he who travelled returned In a
state of filth beyond all description,
who can wonder that scorn attended
its promise and derision its perform
ance?
For a few years, and while France
was. reaping her rich and deserved
harvest, the motor movement stag
gered beneath the blows of its own
ineficiency. A few great men came
nobly to its assistance, Lord North
cliffe pre-eminent among the number
and Sir John Macdonald not far be-
hind him But in the main such prog
ress as was made was the work Of
eynerts themselves, of the men who