The Washington times., 1911-02-03
TOUR TO QUEBEC
MAY START HERE
National Event to Substitute
Glidden Tour Favored
Generally.
WILL BE KNOWN AS
"CAPITAL TO CAPITAL" :"
Efforts Will Be Made to Interest
Two Governments In
/ Enterprise.
By HARRY WARD.

Washington motorists will be interest
ed to learn that a national automobile
tour from Washington to Quebec, tO
take the place of the famous Glidden
tour. is being planned by the Manufac-
turers' Contest Association.
1t will be known as the capital to
capital tour, and will probably be run
some time in June. The matter was
taken up in Chicago yesterday by the
association and discussed at some
length, although final action was not
taken. The tentative route is from this
city to Quebec and Ottowa, returning
to the States to a point yet to be de-
cided. The distance of the proposed
route is about 1000 miles, or nearly 1000
miles less than the distance covered by
the Glidden tourists in each Of the last
two years.
To Interest Governments.
Efforts will be made to enlist the
support and active interest Of the gov
ernmentaI authorities, both in the Uni
ted States and Canada. Requests will
be made that, as observers on the COM
peting cars, men be detailed by proper
authorities from certain branches of
the countries interested. At the meet
ing suggestions were also offered by
members of the association looking to-
ward the pleasure and entertainment
of the contestants, as well as for va
ried competition during the tour.
This will be the first time the national
tour, as the Glidden event has come to
be known in late years, has ever start
ed from the Capital of the nation. II
will bring to this city hundreds Of men
prominent in the automobile world and
be the means of advertising the city all
over the country. The board of COVER
nors of the Automobile Club of Wash
ington will meet tomorrow night at the
Grafton, and it is expected plans for
entertaining the hosts of motorists will
be discussed. The Chamber of Com
merce is also expected to take notice
of the proposed event
Makers Favor Plan.
Although there has been opposition In
some quarters to a repetition of the
GIidden tour, the meeting in Chicago
developed the fact that practically all
of the manufacturers of the country are
in favor of the tour, providing it be con-
Quoted by the national body and under
conditions which that organization may
deem advisable.
In addition to discussing the capital to
capital tour, a grand circuit for auto
mobile racing to insure regularity and
better opportunity for manufacturers in
this method Of testing the comparative
capabilities of their cars, was also vir-
tuaIly decided on by the association.
A tentative plan for such circuit,
with racing to begin on May 80 at the
Indianapolis speedway, and to end
about November l at Savannah, Ga,
was submitted. A committee consisting
of Chairman S. NJ. Butler, OF the Amerf-
can Automobile Association contest
board Russell Field. A. R. Pardington,
and Fred J. Wagner was appointed to
arrange a tentative schedule. 1t has not
BEEN decided whether the circuit shall
extend to the Pacific coast or made
more compact bv limiting it to the Mid
die and Eastern States.
Meets Under Consideration.
Among the meets taken under consid-
Grafton by the grand circuit commit
tee were the following: Road races at
Riverhead. L. l.: Elgin, ILL.,; Powell,
Mass; Philadelphia, Nassau county, L.
j.; Savannah, Ga; Santa Monica, and
San Francisco, Cal; speedway events at
Indianapolis, Atlanta, Los Angeles,
Cheyenne, Denver, and Omaha; hill
climbs at Fort Jefferson, L. l.; Worces-
ter, Mass: Wilkesbarre. Pa, and AL
gonQuin, Ill
A minor circuit on dirt tracks with
dates arranged to conform with those
of the major circuit were. considered for
Louisville, Brighton Beach, Boston, |
Providence, Hartford, Philadelphia, Co
lumbus, Detroit. Grand Rapids, Mil |
waukee, st. Paul, Kansas City, and
Syracuse.