The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-16
PRESIDENT WILL
 RIDE IN CAR MADE
 IN LOCAL FACTORY
Bowie Pays Tribute to Public Spirit of H. A. Drennen, Whose Offer of a Car
 Had Been Accepted

occasion of the visit of President Harding on October 26, during the semi-centennial celebration.
 Announcement to this effect was made yesterday by Sydney J. Bowie, general chairman of the semt-cen- tennial committee, just after he had granted to the Preston Motors Cor poration, makers of the Premocar, the right to use the Birmingham product for the President during his entire visit.
 Tho announcement of Chairman Bowie followed receipt of letter from II. A. Dreennen president of Drennen Motor Car company in which he released tn ecommittee from it's promise to use a Cadillac car for the President. In making public the correspondence between himself and Mir. Drenncn, MT. Bowie paid high tribute to the public spirit of Mir. Drennen which prompted him to give way to the Birmingham car, even after he had gone to considerable trouble and expense, following the promise of the committee to use the Cadillac car sold by Mir. Drennen.
 "The action of Mir. Hubert Drennen and the Drennen Motor Car company 1 in voluntarily releasing the commit tee from ts promise to use a Cadillac car for the President was very mag unanimous and deserves the commen- dation of all our people" said MT, Bowie.
 Made First offer "Mr. Drennen was the first auto- mobile dealer to approach the com mittee regarding the use of car and, as he had shown a very commendable and patriotic interest in the success of the celebration and had made | most liberal subscription to the eX- pense fund, I agreed to use one Of his new Cadillac cars which he of- fered to put at the service of the committee for the President. MT. Drennen went to considerable trouble and expense, acting on the assurance of the committee that one of his cars would be used, and made certain arrangements with the Cad lilac factory which naturally caused him some embarrassment in notify ing them that another car will be used.
 showed Patriotic Spirit "As soon as the attention of the committee was called to the fact that the Premocar, made in Birming 1 ham, would be offered for the use of the President we naturally were anxious to extend this recognition to a local factory, but we had bound ourselves to use the car of MT. Dren- nen all after h chad made all ar rangments, there was nothing for the committee to do but stand by its promise. The action of MT. Dren- nen In voluntarily giving up priv ilege which he had been granted by the committee indicates very patri otic spirit and one worthy of cmulh- ton by all the people of the city. MT. Drennen has sacrificed consider able in this matter for the good of Birmingham" Tn announcing that the Blrming ham made automobile would be used by the President, Chairman Bowie made public the following correspond ence:
 Drennens Letter Mir. Sydney J. Bowie, General
 Chairman, the Semi l-Centennial,
 Birmingham, Ala:
 Dear Mir Bowie Some months ago. when the semi centennial or ganization was In formation, 1 asked you to allow my company to furnish a Cadillac automobile for the use of the President in the
 Dnradp thfC granted by you.
 I did this. not only to help out
 your committee, but felt also from a busipess standpoint It would be of some value to the Cadillac car. I, of course. knew that this Cadillac was the offi- cial car of the United States army and that perhaps on ths account it would be the proper car to use. Frankly speaking. the fact that the Preston Motor Car company were manufacturing car in Bir- mingham and that this being Birmingham celebration, Blr-' mingham product should be used did not occur to me at the time.
 Since thinking over the matter,
 however, I have concluded voiun- tarily to give up my contract with you. because I feel strongly that
 Birmingham made car should be given this honor, and that in
 this celebration every Birming-
 ham citizen should, If necessary,
 make sacrifices-personal and
 otherwiee--to aid you and your
 committee in making this cele-
 bration monumental success.
 Please call on me If I can be of
 service. Yours very truly
 IT. A. DREN[t,N
 President Drennen Mtof Car Co.,
 Bowie's Reply
 Mir. IT. A. Drennen. President
 Drennen Motor Car Co, Bir-
 mingham, Ala:
 My Dear Mr. Drennen: Your
 favor of the 18th instant just re-
 ceiver.
 You can never know how much
 we appreciate the generous ac-
 tion you have taken and the gen
 erous spirit you have shown in
 ths matter
 When you came to me about
 two months ago with your re-
 quest for the use of Cadillac
 car for the President it was the
 first one we had received. You
 had already made a generous con tributlon to our fund at a time
 when 1t was quite uncertain
 whether or not we would be able to raise the entire amount. You were the first to ask. and you were amory the first to give. Quite recently when 1t was sug-
 gested that 8 Birmingham car be
 used for the President to ride In the parade, l stated to those who
 submitted the request the nature
 of my obligation, to you. I stated
 that if you voluntarily waived
 your rights under the agreement,
 I should be happy. but under no