The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-07
British Loss Moqv $4,000,
Says Dt4Oer of War Auto
j. r. Clarke, European Salesman for Packard Company
Here After Thrilling Experiences on Battlefelds
With the Allies-Often Under Fire
NIGHT DASH WITH PRESIDENT WILSON'S SISTER

Up at the Hotel Gerard In West Forty
fourth street Is a mild hammered young
man who walks with n slight stoop and
llmp---because, as he explains, he has only
one OF the legs he started life with--who
has sought and found more war excite
ment and been nearer the French firing
line than any other American civilian.
lie is J. II. Clarke. European salesman
for the Packard Automobile Company.
and his opportunities for seeing things
a. they are" as he puts 1t. arose from the
fact that he had automobiles when they
were most wanted. and volunteered them
for every kind of service. even acting for
eighteen days as chauffeur for the chief
OF the English Signal Corps ut the front.
just to add a touch Of romance to his
narrative 1t might be mentioned that Mr.
| Clarke got day or when the Germans
! made their stand at the Aisne. to return
to Paris and be married He had promised
! to be there for that important effect, and
he got there. even II he did arrive In a
khaki uniform and had to leave right
after the ceremony for the front. Incl
dentally. he was tho first man from tho
front to bring word to Paris of the Ger
man stand.
Helped President's Sister.
when the war started" Mr.. Clarke
| said last night 1--WE had eight cars in
Paris, and through Ambassador Herrick
| got them exempted from military SER
| vice. so that they might be used to carry
American refugees to the coast We ran
| them on a regular schedule and were
| booked for days ahead. Have you heard
how Mrs. Anna Wilson Howe. sister of
/ President Wilson. got out OF France? she
| went to Havre in one of our cars
Mrs Howe had intended to stay In
/ France and was on several relief COM
| mittees but the day before the France
/ sailed on her first trip from Havre Mrs.
/ Howe heard of Mrs. Wilson's death and
made up her mind to try and catch the
| France. She had about twenty-four hours.
The only way she could 10 was by
/ automobile, which would necessitate a
night trip, and that seemed impossible
| as at that time only military vehicles were
allowed at night on the highways. Ann
bassador Herrick vainly endeavored to get
! permission from the War Department for
/ Mrs Howe TO make the night trip.
1T was finally decided that her only
chance was to get chauffeur VINO could
bluff his way through. You must bear In
/ mind that not only were the bridges,
culyerts and every railroad crossing
guarded, but that chains and other barri-
/ cades prevented ingress and egrcss from
villages.
Thrilling Trip by Might.
Mrs Howe started in one OF our cars
at o'clock In the evening. The chauf-
feur ca oled and browbeat sentres at
/ various stops into letting the machine
pass, and sometimes used the relationship
of Mr. Howe to the President as an argu-
; ment and after seven hours reached
Rouen. about half way to Havre. From
there La France could be reached by day
light, before sailing time. so the party
put up for the night.
The chauffeur met Prince Murat, a
captain In the French army, at the garage
where he put up his machine. Prince
Murat asked him where he came from.
and at the mention OF Paris threw up his
hands In disbelief Why he exclaimed
4 tried to get through three nights ago
and couldn't and | am an officer OF the
army
'But l found that travelling about
France was largely matter OF blum. and
even at night managed to max,
several trips which Frenchmen told ms
were impossible Why, II "A spy spok,
English and French nuently and didn't
look too German l should think, from ml
experience, that he could wander arount
France indefinitely, that is II he is
good buffer
81 made a night trip from Tours e
Paris with nothing but the usual pass %
the Surete General and big seal on
letter Ambassador Herrck had giver
me to help in getting my cars exempted