THE GORDON-BENNETT CUP.

114 several thousand pounds have been subscribed, donation of .clOOO from Lord Rothschild.

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THE GORDON-BENNETT CUP. THE fourth m -,tor-car race for the trophy presented by Mr. James Gordon-Bennett has been brought to a conclusion without loss of life or, indeed, serious injury to anyone and those connected with the promotion and conduct of the contest deserve some measure of congratulation for a success -consisting in the avoidance of disaster. At the same time many predict that the recent contest in Ireland will be the last of its kind, at least so far as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France are concerned, and all sensible persons will regard the probable discontinuance of such exhibitions with satisfaction. The wholesale horrors of the ParisMadrid contest were fresh upon the minds of all who witnessed, or took part in, the race on July 2nd and if Parliament had been asked to sanction a road race in Ireland after, instead of before, the experience of our continental neighbours there can be little doubt of The necessary what the answer would have been. Act was passed, however, and has had no serious result, but the apprehension with which the Irish race the extreme precautions taken, and the was regarded, of relief when it was over have served to expressions accentuate the danger, not only of motor-car racing, but also of all driving at high rates of speed. As a matter of fact the risk attending motor-cars moving at speeds far exceeding the legal limit upon highways has grown to be more fully realised during the past few months than it has been in previous seasons, and it is not easy to see how those engaged in the motor-car industry can desire in their ’own interests to hold exhibitions such as the one which has just taken place. The public has shown considerable interest in motor-cars during the past few years, and the medical profession, more almost than any other, has watched their development keenly, for the medical man in his practice or in the exercise of those appointments which necessitate his constant and rapid movement from place to place, is naturally eager for a machine which, at about the same cost, can be trusted to take him farther, more rapidly, and not less safely in the course of the day than a horse or horses. To the medical man and to those members of the public whose needs correspond with his the race in Ireland means little or nothing in favour of motor-cars if it does not actually discourage their use. It affords evidence of their claim to speed, but this was established already and the marvellous ’speed exhibited by racing cars is not desired by the ordinary purchaser who requires them either for pleasure or for business. The pace of cars which go far slower than the Mercèdes of M. Jenatzy or the Panhard of the Chevalier De Knyff has been shown on other occasions to be a source of peril both to those occupying them and to human beings and .animals using the road, and the race in Ireland has not proved anything to the contrary. The cars in the race for the Gordon-Bennett Cup were driven at a terrific rate, but they were guided by men picked flOm among experts and even in such hands there were accidents which good fortune rather than skill prevented from being fatal to the drivers, while the safety of the public was insured at enormous expense by a huge body of military and police. The trust of the public in the motor-car as a .piece of machinery to be relied upon as such gains still less by the race. Allowing aga-n for the excessive speed we find that cars built for the purpose for which they were used without regard for expense and driven with the greatest possible skill over specially prepared roads were the victims of defects and accidents which affected almost every part of their construction and which put seven out of the 12 starters kors de combat and only allowed two out of the

remaining

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five to finish in a more or less dilapidated condition. To make the deduction that vehicles for ordinary traffic would fail in anything like the same proportion after a day’s work would, of course, be unfair, and we wish only to point out that races such as the one under discussion can do nothing to establish the trustworthy character of the motorcar or to recommend its use to the great buying public to whom a trade must appeal if it desires to flourish upon a large scale. For the public the motor-car remains for the present a somewhat uncertain and not inexpensive aid to locomotion which will serve its owner best if he has a taste for mechanics and time in which to master its construction and to pay attention to its maintenance. The improvements most to be desired are those which will make it cheaper, simpler, and less liable to break down, and racing leads to none of these. At the same time the GordonBennett race has been a fine example of an international contest conducted in a spirit of sportsmanlike emulation and organised with success in difficult circumstances. Our foreign competitors have received a hearty welcome and the Germans have won a victory which no one grudges them ; indeed, the performances of the winner and of those who struggled to beat him have resulted in a fine display of skill, nerve, and physical endurance. The conduct of the spectators also is a matter for considerable congratulation ; they were well protected no doubt, but they did not show any tendency to the foolish recklessness exhibited by those who in the Paris-Madrid contest contributed so much to the disasters of the day. Certainly the people of the district have deserved whatever profit the influx of visitors may have brought them, although we may not wish them any repetition of their unusual experience.

PRESIDENT LOUBET’S VISIT. THE welcome

country

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able

large

impression

given by

the

King,

the

capital,

and the

to President Loubet has made a vey favourin France and has supplied quidnuncs of the

an enormous quantity of reception of President Loubet in the streets of London was a perfectly hearty and simple acknowledgment of our national pleasure at seeing among us the brave, honest, simple gentleman who is the titular ruler of France. The political predetermination with which our King and certain of our Cabinet are being credited have, for the most part of course, no existence ; but if all the journalistic guessing were accurate it would not alter the fact that the popular welcome given to President Loubet was spontaneous and free from political arrière pensée-a recognition of the many loveable qualities of the French nation and of the sterling

continental press with material for

stupid supposition.

The

of the President. One part of President Loubet’s little programme had a distinctly medical bearlittle after nine o’clock on the morning of July 7th he visited the French Hospital and Dispensary in Shaftesbury-avenue. He was received by the senior Dr. A. who conducted him to the Vintras, physician, council-room, where the members of the committee of management and the medical staff awaited his arrival. At the right side of the President stood Mr. Edmund of the hospital Owen, the consultirg and chief and with him were Dr. G. Ogilvie, Dr. G. C. L. Vintras, Dr. H. Dardenne, Mr. H. de Meric, Mr. H. Davis, Mr. C. Greene, and Mr. D. Thomson. The proceedings began with an address of welcome to the President read by Dr. A. Vintras. The President, in reply, said that in coming to the French Hospital he was discharging one of the pleasantest duties that had fallen to his lot. He congratulated them on the great charity which they maintained in a foreign land which was most friendly to France. The institution alleviated suffering which was intensified worth

crowded ing. A

surgeon