The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-10-28
DON'T CHANGE DRIVERS
IN AN HOUR OF PERIL
Hughes Passenger, Says Charles
A. Towne.

Have you ever noticed how easy
|! it is for some men to sit on the rear
seat and criticize the chauffeur"
asks Charles A. Towne, of New York,
in a speech which he is delivering in
course of transcontinental speak
ing tour5in behalf of President Will
son.
What a delightful irresponsible
lty. The powerful, but delicate,
mechanism trembles with impatience
Slowly it creeps, like a nervous
thing ofllife, out and in among the
countless perils of the city street.
! Automobiles to the right. Automo-
front. Automobiles behind. Horses,
trucks. lnilk-wagons. moving vans
coming and going, in a welter of dan
gerous confusion. Horns sounding,
buzzers Screeching, sirens splitting
the thick air with blood-curdling
shrieks. Pedestrians fitting here
and there emitting cries of inarticu-
late fear. Traffic policemen wigwag-
ging complicated instructions. Ele.
vated trains roaring overhead. The
earthquake OF the subway under
meath.
''In front sits the chauffeur, every
muscle faut, face set in rigid lines,
eyes keen for every detail of the
panorama. His hands are on the
steering wheel, one ready to sound
tn horn, the other in easy reach of
the emergency brake, one foot is on
the clutch, the other on foot brake
and prepared to touch the accelera-
ter if the car should stall. Progress
is fitfuE swerving to right, to left
stopping starting, slowing, darting
into op6nings of monetary prom
Use. A false move, an instant's hesi-
tation, III single act of precipitation
on the part of the chauffeur, may
spell rHtn to the machine and injury
or death to the passengers.
"ButGfhe smart Alec on the back
seat is an incorrigible meddler. He
knows It all. Nobody can drive to
suit him Even if success results
from aiOther's course, his self-confi-
dence is not disturbed. Sound yer
hern!. He yells Throw her into
second, you fool Turn to the left.
Stop her. What's yer clutch for?'
You don't know how to drive And
deal more of unsought advice that
can't pe1sibly affect the car and may
easily dietract the chauffeur and con-
fuse the crowd.
Nov, suppose the journey to re-
suit df1asfrously, the machine to be
wfecka the passengers MANNED or
killed. Who can say how much the
ill-timda Interference of the wise guy
on th6 6iNck seat had to do with it,
misl0S HE the rival vehicles, dis
turbinf HIS own driver? And, if in
spite 6E al the critics advice, the
chauifenf wins to safety, if the car
SUSTAIN ia injury, and no passengers
is hurt what then can the marplot
say? W the other passengers have
4 mon = 4 q patience with his claim
thaf kfaty would have follow
= Illes2 VII they
not cpns3r II worse than idle specu-
latioD VIII they not rather regard
the back seat critic as one who per-
lied action with dark counsel and
was willing to risk ruin to all in
order to have his way? Will they
not rebuke the fault-fnder and law
ish gratitude upon the brave, self
reliant, capable and successful driv-
er?
"Fe1low-citizens, the car of Ameri-
ca is beset with innumerable and
perils. The highway
of the. world is crowded with mad
rush of vehicles bearing the rival
destinies of nations and driving ruth
lessly over, around or through all in
tervening obstacles. Our chauffeur,
firm of purpose, calm, capable and
patient and tireless, has
guided us amid the press and tur-
moil thus far without either damag-
ing the car, injuring the passengers
or relinquishing the right OF way.
In the name of common sense, in the
name of the welfare of our country,
in the name of the hard-won princi-
pies of International law, what an
swer shall prudent, just, patriotic
American citizens make to the cow
ardly, foolish and dangerous propo-
sition that, in the very middle OF
our uncompleted journey, while the
difficulties of our course are at their
height, we shall pull our chauffeur
from his seat, take his foot from the
brake and his hand from. the wheel,
to. turn over the control of our des-
tiny to the inexperienced and carping
in the rear.
"I think I know what their an
swer will be. They will say. in
voice that can be heard by every
other driver on the international
highway and in every governmental
garage throughout the world:
woodrow, hold your place; Charlie,
sit down in the back seat and be
quiet!'"