The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-29
INVADING WAR ZONE
 FOR CRACK PILOTS TO
 RACE FOR ASTOR CUP
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 Earl Cooper and Eddie Rickenbacher. both American. have won big races on native- made Stutz and Maxwell cars and offer two strong domestic combinations.
 What Everard Thompson is seeking, however. are cracks of foreign reputa- ton as pilots of several famous European tive international clements that were SD conspicuous in the early races for the Vanderbilt and the grand prize trophies. Not at all daunted, however, by the fact that the war is keeping the foreign stars at home, he has made a direct appeal to the French war office to grant some of the drivers sufficiently long furlough from the front to participate in the Astor cup race.
 French Minister Approached The French war minister has been ap- preached fin the matter through the kindly intermediation of a member of the firm of J. P. Morgan S, Co., Advices from Paris give encouragement that the appeal has not been altogether in vain. Bearing in mind the generosity of Americans in the matter of the founding and support of hos pitals for the wounded, and not unmind- ful of the material value the retention of the prestige of French cars will be to his country's automobile industry after the war, his excellency the minister of
 war is said to be inclined to release cer- tain drivers. Word has come that Rene
 Thomas and the noted Bablot have re- ceived permission for leave of absence in order to compete. Than this pair France has no more famous speed pilots. Thomas won the Indianapolis race in 1914
 Bablot made much of his reputation in the Targa Florio, the Grand Prix of the Au- | tomobile Club of France, and a string of other important foreign races.
 Manager Thompson says he will have
 no difficulty in securing for them mounts on fast cars of foreign makes alread,
 bought on which options have been SC.
 cured by wealthy New Workers and others
 who propose entering the racing game Porporato, of the Italian army who fin
 ished second In the Chicago derby on u Sunbeam, is still in this country Por porato Is rated in Italy as the peer of
 any of the Italian drivers. DePalma and Resta not excepted.
 Felice Nezarro and Vincenzo Lancia are engaged in making war cars at Turin and are out of the question:; but of the other famous pilots of early Vanderbilt Cup and Grand Prize days, Victor Hemery Louis Wagner and Arthur Duray have not yet been reported as among the i'm. possibilities.
 Among the European racing cracks oI
 more recent years who are most anx- ious to come over and who probably vii receive furloughs, are Jules Goux. whc won the 1913 Indianapolis 500-mie race ir a Peugeot. and who now is driving 2 car at the front for General Joffre, an6 Georges Boillot, victor in the French Grand prize of 1912. who. when last heard from was engaged in planting mines, a thing he considers decidedly more dan gcrous than race driving.
 Automobile row and clubdom are riff with stories of racers already bought and
 Of negotiat tions under way with famous
 drivers and cracks of former days or the eve of re-enterng the racing game
 The Vincent Astor cup Is. of course. the
 bait of wealthy sportsmen and the $50, ,00t
 in prize money is a temptation hard tc
 be resisted by men who won fame and fortune In the race of few years back
 The fact that many of the runners have real foundation is full of encourage ment to those seeking to revive auto- mobile enthusiasm in New York.