Evening star., 1938-09-15

schools in washington under A.
A. A. sponsorship. Mrs. Thorpe,
Uho visited in Europe this summer,
has Uritten seperdl letters to The
Star on traffic in European cities,
OF Dhich this is one.
BY CORA WELLS THORPE.
Scotland Yard had given me the
long anticipated appointment and
in strict compliance with the hour
set for rendezvous promising to be
the most intriguingly interesting of the
summers conferences. arrived
punctually at II o'clock on the dig
nified Threshold of England's police
hierarchy.
Whether I subconsciously expected
to see Mr. Sherlock Holmes and pipe
in the flesh, or DR.. Watson emerging
from some unsupported corridor,
do not now recall, but I was con-
scious of making somewhat hur-
ried mental readjustment as a deep
British voice addressed me.
Il believe, ma'am, your appoint
.fnent is with our commissioner OF
police, Mr. Alker Tripp," and on my
confirmation, the burly, uniformed
Briton in whose cheerful, open
countenance could detect no suspi-
cion of mystery, led me with no
further ceremony down the impress
sive hall to the nearby lift. Also. be
It confessed. if in the glass cases
which f1anked this corridor, had
hoped to catch glimpses of exhibits
of the tools and the, stock and trade
of England's underworld, my expecta-
tions were doomed to disappointment.
These shining cabinets contained only
q resplendent array of silver urns,
which, I comforted myself, no doubt
were commemorative of some of the
coups with which we are wont to credit
Great Britain's secret service
Fails to Look the Part.
! Nor did the gracious and highly
cultured gentleman, into whose pres
ence / was promptly ushered, convey
to any greater degree the sleuth-like
qualities with which our infancy's i'm
agination has colored this formidable
police force.
"Of course, I am here, Mr.. Trip.
to learn what Great Britain has to
teach the United States about traf-
fic CONTROL" I volunteered.
Previous experience on the continent
had suggested t6as as a usually Sue
cessfIll approach to traffic offcialdom,
and 1t proved its value again as an
expeditions means of breaking the ice.
.. Well" the commissioner laughing
ly replied, as he waved his hand in
vitingly toward a comfortable leather
chair, Il suppose that Is as good q
way as any other to play on Briton's
ego"
g But had really meant it, and I so
assured him. for had I not just ar
rived from fortnight's motoring In
Shropshire. where the English lanes,
in some cases survivals Of the orig
tal Roman chariot roads-and no
wider-proceeded in a close success
sion of hairpin curves fanked by rock
walls, which in turn were oyer
grown with some IL to IS feet OF
buckthorn hedge? Had my host and I
not sped through miles of such lanes,
our small Austin nosing its way at no
mean speed up hill and down dale,
until We had risen finally to the
gorse and bracken covered uplands
which commanded an unbroken view
of the gorgeous, rough Welsh country
beyond? How We had escaped with
our lives, as night after night we
journeyed from one end of Salop
to the other, was and will remain a
profound mystery only to be explained
by sheer luck, and I said as much.
Safe Because Of Danger.
But" responded Mr.. Tripp, Eng
lSh lanes are safe because they are
50 dangerous. With their unending
curves, doubling back almost upon
themselves, their narrowness and
hedges, drivers can't make time, and
those that wish to do so keep on the
highways. All we have to do to in
crease our accident toll is to convert
our old English lanes into thorough
fares. At present their obvious danger
makes drivers careful. I believe you
find the same thing true in America,
say. for instance, on your Baltimore
pike"
This was turning the tables! In
deed, the conversation was taking on
an unexpected profundity Of knowl-
edge, quite in keeping with the best
traditions of Scotland Yard.
In response to my obvious surprise,
Mr.. Tripp continued, Il made
trafic study of your highway systems
In the United States before I pub
lished my recent book, Road Traffic
and Its Control
The latter volume the most au-
thoritative one published on Euro
pean traffic, had recently made its
appearance, and as the press notices,
which I had fortunately read, OBJ
served, was founded on the authors 40
years experience as a cyclist, 80 years
es motorist and a very respectable
yearly mileage on foot. Besides he
was responsible among other features
OF town planning for the scheme Of
control which was devised on the
coronation of King George vi.
Quizzes Him on D. C. Lights.
An inspiration came to me on the
heels Of his last remark. Why not
secure the reaction of an English
authority not alone to English tranic
but to American? Even a step fur
ther-to the Districts?
you believe" I queried, Gin the
synchronization Of lights approaching
our circles, on Massachusetts, Avenue
for instance?"
Il do not" he replied. II advocate
what we call the flexible progress
sive'-in other words, a system of so
new NERVE FOOD
Does Wonders for Many Gases Of