Arizona republican., 1915-08-01
DESERT RACE TOO TAME SAYS
 LOS ANGELES; THINK OF PAST
BY LYLE ABBOTT

Years ago. five cars left Los Ange- , les on the first dash to the Arizona ! capital. It was the greatest race of all the eight which have been accom- plished. In those days nobody thought anything about spending entrance money to advertise a winning car. But q few good sportsmen had one grand ] time out of it.
 Less than a year ago, the Phoenix race was entered by nearly score of cars, together with at least four driV- 1 CTS who are the top notchers in the speed game. one of them, Barney old tielG won the race and it bumped Bar ney so, that he was never sure after ward that he would survive another running. still, Parney was willing to
 ramble over the desert again.
 Los Angeles says a mouthfm abOut 1 that traffic business. Most any time of day, the houleVards of south Cali fornia are pretty well crammed with l cars Traffic eXiGencies are the only sound reasons why the race should fail. And there is a loop-hole in the l.. A. argument even there Nobody that We talked to last fall had any kick over traffic. The early morning start eliminated much of that objection just
 as il would save the race now. il Los Angeles were willing
 As for the ridiculous ease with which
 the course can be traversed now, that ! iS fallacN Nobody who drives it in anything like time ever attends any tango parties the night after If it is ! so easy to motor between here and Los 1 Angeles. why did seven out of twenty 1 cars finish last year: and why were t"ur out of the seven about at the end 1 of their baling-wire resources?
 ! We have been accused of being too easv on the quitters in our previous article on this subject We were easy
 on 'em. Phoenix saw even before Los Angeles saw it that millions of people
 could survive the desert race. without even quaIm. Phoenix is especially. able to drop the event, and so far as
 We have been able to ascertain among motor srortsmen about town. the only ! real regret is at the passing of a grand ! old competition. that has stirred men for years and has afforded Los Ange- l les and incidentally Phoenix untold i columns of valuable publicity.
 | In discovering themselves unable to pungle up the price of new race or
 even share of it. Los Angeles motor
 car dealers have overlooked the income 1 they have derived from the large num- | Der of cars visiting the city. It is just l possible that part of those visiting ! motorists went to l.. A. over the Bor- | derland or other route made known as 1 passable through the medium of the
 Los Anseles-Phoenix road race.
 fnoerlX never offered an objection i to a race between the coast and Fl i Paso If the bloko who tells about it
 this morning over in l.. A. will get his
 facts straight. he will discover that Harry Welch, secretary of the Phoenix chamber of commerce proposed the lOOv mile race. and did all the letter writing that made it known among the promoters on the coast and in Fl Paso That's pretty poor way of daclinsng tG support d race
 While regretting the inability of the ! coast metropolis to see" us and raise 'hoeniN Is preparing to share with Fl faso and the cities along the Border
 land. in q bigger classic than ever be lore promoted. one that is to be run over road that is at least fifty Der cent better fand more moIlycoddlish, l than the Los Angeles route. and one on | which beside boosters who have stuff In them to stick by their fellow en- thusiasts