Evening star., 1924-10-12
GLOBE TROTTER TELLS OF WIERD
MYS OF AUTO DRIVERS ABROAD
LO,Ceu Thomas Describes Motoring Customs Seen
in India, arabia and on Old Roman
Highways.

Lowell Thomas, the American ex-
plorer. globe trotter and historian of
the Palestine and Arabian campaigns
passed through Washington recently
in the course of 20,0oo-mile tour Of
America in a motor car. After hav-
ing Travelled continuously for seven
years in foreign lands he has at last
returned to his own country for what
he describes as quiet rest"-a rest
which he is taking in the form of a
mere 20,000-m mile trip.
When asked how the advantages of
motoring in this country compared
with facilities in other countries he
has crossed. such as Siberia. Beloo-
chlstan. kashmfr. Burma the Sudan
or Australia he described America as
the motorists paradise
Ihe American highways over
which we have travelled thus far
ana We have already driven 1000
miles since starting from New York
are the equal of the best roads in
Europe. despite the fact that in other
lands they have had start on US of
many centuries. The difference be-
tween the number of automobiles in
America and in other countries is
startling. In driving here one seems
to be part of a never ending pro-
cessfon and is soon aware of the fact
that the people of the United States
drive about 90 per cent of all the
motor cars in the world. The i'm
provement in cars during my seven
years absence is equally amazing.
Motoring a Luxury.
Il believe that the phenomenal de-
velopment of the automobile over
here is partly due to the fact that
this is practically the only country
where gasoline is not heavily taxed.
In other lands You have to pay two
or three times as much for petrol
or essence. as it is called, as you do
here. That makes motoring "A laxury
which only the rich can afford. The
American Government has shown
| wisdom in not following the exam
pie of foreign countries in this par
ticular, and, moreover, the low price
of motor car fuel has surely played
great part in raising the standard
of living in America-Something that
is more noticeable than anything else
to one. like myself, who has been
away from America for many years.
Those who have been away from
home many years as I have come
back with a lot of curious ideas and
with irresistible desire to tell
how things are done elsewhere and
how they ought to be done here. I
am human enough not to be an ex-
cepIloH 10 tTlS RUE, "a no one or tne
things that often impressed me when
driving through regions that were
once a part of the Roman Empire, was
that the Romans built their roads for
permanency-not to be torn up and
substituted by tortuouS detourS every
year or two. Take the old Appian
| Way from Rome to the south of
Italy. Although it was built by Appius
Claudius some 500 years before the
birth of Christ it still remains one of
the finest highways on earth and re-
Guires but little attention. But
must admit that some parts of our
new magnificent national highways
have got the present Appian Way
looking like a jungle TRAIL
Discoverer Of Lawrence.
Mr.. Thomas was attached to the
staff of Field Marshall Viscount
Allenby during the war and not only
was the historian of the crusades
which freed Jerusalem. but he also
gained world ide fame as the dis
coverer of Col Thomas Lawrence. the
mystery man who built up d wild
Bedouin army in the desert, made
himself the "uncrowned king of the