Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-18
VANDERBILT CUP
SPEED TESTS
TOMORROW
BY Arthur w. Greiner.

TILWAUKEE, WIS, Sept. 49,
Nj With the officials here
frantic in an endeavor to get
the Wauwatosa course into condi-
zion for the first speed trials of
tho racers who will participate in
rbis weeks promised classics. the
drivers themselves keyed to high
mitch Of Impotence and doubt, the
Anal preiminaries are being con-
ended and road practice is being
started in a small way. The road
is not yet entirely open and is far
from completion.
By tomorrow we will be able to
tell whether speed of a high order,
commensurate with the honOred IT,
tIas Of the two big events. will be
possible. If the road proves a
failure and crowds are seriously
disappointed it will be blow that
automobile racing. already on the
decline through the apathy of man
uracturers and the concentration of
mower in the hands of a few. will
find the most serious in its his
tory.
Thus far. though everybody who
has a deep interest in AUTOMOBILE
ing knows the races are about to
he run. there is a lack of that
fren2ied zest which has in the past
surrounded a Vanderbilt cup or a
grand prize race. These two events
are traditional classics which in
their time have engaged the inter-
est Of the world and set the blood
Of millions tingling. The night be
fore a Vanderbilt when it was held
on the Long Island course Broad
way was up and on its toes till
daylight saw the endless stream of
enthusiasts cars vending to the
the track.
East Bemoans Loss.
When the classic was moved
West the Eastern papers devoted
more space bewailing their be-
reavement than the Western papers
have since utilized in announcing
the event Milwaukee itself is not
as excited over the presence of
the worlds greatest sporting event
as New York was. and New York
is still considerably larger than
Milwaukee, which still regards
quite another eXhilarating product
as that which made Milwaukee
famous
That the Cream City will have
the cream of speed drivers of the
DAY none can deny. All the best
that the game affords are here, so
much so that if there should be
serious difficulties between the A.
A. A. officials and the drivers gath
cred here it would be a fight to
the finish that would tie automobile
racing into a knot that would hold
IT, Nothing like that will happen,
however. because the wheelmen
who hold the entire industry in
their grip are divided into two
gentlemen sportsmen who
love the grim contest and shrewd
professionals who live by it. But
the one big spine that held them
together is gone-the factory in
fiuence. Now auto racing is de-
pendent on the private drivers and
the professional racing officials.
Always Broke Records in Past.
Milwaukee promised to give to
the two big races all the neces-
Sary elemntS of impressiveness that
they merit and that should help to
perpetuate them as the derbies of
mechanical speed events. Wheth-
er these assurances will be made
good depends in the main upon the
'onaIuon of the road. In all JUS
're 1t must be said that no eff
io'ts are being spared to get it
INTO shape, but it is a Hercucan
TASK A Vanderbilt without broken
enords would be unfortunate.
nerve never was one. For the good
'f ihe game we all hope that the
'ulSr Will prove capable of the
uEheSl speed and that no tarnish
VIII visit the shining Vanderbilt
cup.