The Washington times., 1912-03-23
AUTOMOBILE BOARD !
TO RETAIN CONTROL
OF RACING EVENTS
Chairman of Executive Com
mittee of Three AS Ex-
plains Situation.
By HARRY WARD.

When George NJ. Dickson. general
manager Of big Western motor con-
corn. came out with a reply to the
attacks male upon automobile racing,
he said that the one sure way of pre-
serving the honesty and true sports
mlnship Of the events is for the Amer
ican Automobile Association to retain its
control over them. Opponents of racin1
have urged that the three AS wash its
hands OF motor car racing control.
To show that Dickson has the true
understanding of the situation, A. G.
Eatshelder. chairman of the executive
committee of the three AS, has writ
ten dickson as follows:
your statement in regard to the rae
ing situation IS to method of control,
etc, certainly hit the nail exactly on
not see any other plan for the hest
general good. For the manufacturers
themselves 20 enforce and interpret the
rules would be most difficult. and un-
public ITSELF
While the American Automobile As,
sociauon VIII devote a great part Of its
1t Will also continue to control raciuy
| notwithstanding the objections against
such control urged by few opponents
OF racing.
A group of automobile men were dis
cussing the coming 500-mile race in Nav.
when one said: "Ill bet that johnnie
Aitken will be in that race, all right"
Attken Will be remembered as the driver
| of the chairmans car in the first Mum
sey Reliability Tour: 1t was suggested
| that Aitken has retired since his mar
| riage, and that official announcement
| of that fact had been made. Others
| say that when the motors begin to roar
and the cars to do their swift stunts at
the track Aitken will be unable to re-
4 SiSt the "call of speed"
One man, race driver himself, told
| how hard 1t is to quit racing once you
become a slave TO the excitement of the
sport. ! have seen Aitken driving Ma
| tional cars in many races, and he has
| won many, many times. There he sat.
| whirled through space in that big blue
machine. Past his goggled eyes fitted
| a streak of panoramic pictures of the
grandstands and cheering people Once
| a man feels that inspiration tingling in
/ his blood he can never resist. Oblivious
| of danger, the driver lunEes forward,
mower Of his hot-breathed car and
his own, steel ana flesh, and all seem
one until the race is done. So for one
| believe that Aitken will be back in the
arena this year, despite the fact that
he really believes he will not"
Four of the leading cities in the mid
/ die West are after the national meet of
the Federation of American Motorcy
| CIiStS Wh1Cn Is 10 ne nel0 In1S summer.
| The rivalry between the motorcycle
| clubs Is so keen that the riders of the
| single tracker will be assured of good
| racing and a royal reception, whether
| Columbus, Cleveland, Chicago. Indian
aDolis or some other is chosen as the
| convention. Washington will send a
] good sized delegation to the meet.
| Miller Brothers, agents for the Ford,
have leased the building at 9l6 New
| York avenue, and will use 1t for their
motorcycle department. They have been
| appointed agents for the Pierce and
| Minneapolis machines, and will carry
| full line of 1872 models
The Overland Washington Motor Com
| pany reports the sale of an Overland
! delivery wagon to the Oe Sales Laun-
dry Company.
| #. Lamar Jackson, the Stevens-Duryea
| agent has added a line of automobile
| supplies and accessories.
| Jack" Cassidy, factory representative
| of the Marion Sales Company. is spend
ing a few days in Washington.
The latest purchaser Of a Detroit cleo
/ trio colonial brougham is Mrs. kathryn
Franklin. The machine is finished in
Brewster green, and Emerson & 0rme,
who booked the order, claim 1t is one
of the finest electric automobiles ever
turned out by the Detroit makers.