Evening Star Newspaper, May 19, 1929, Page 55

tor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. IRECTOR OF TRAFFIC WILLIAM H. HARLAND 1s In the Mo favorably impressed with D the efiorts of the Police *Department in instructing pedes- trians how to cross the interses ticns in safety. Mr. Harland has heen in favor of pedestrian con- trol fer a Jong time, and has never given up his approval despite the fact that the Ccmmissioners took his recommendation for its en- forcement “under advisement.” It is thougiht unlikely that the heads of th government will give crders partment to walker” b cedure understood that it is tk opin- jon that the tir ot here as yet for the enfercement of such a regulation. For Safety's . Why a pedestrian should be al- Jowed any more latitude at street intersections than the motorists is a question hard to understand ions are formu- lated for protection to the life and property of the users of the streets.” The pedestrian uses the streets when crossing frem one block to another d sheuld be compellcd to do his part in the fety. If a small fine will not insure his co-operation, a higher fine might accomplish that purpose. . It is to be hoped that public opinion in a short time will make a united demand fcr the regula- tion. In thc meanwhile the ef- forts of Inspector E. W. Brown and the Washingten Chapter of the American Business Club are praiseworthy. Renewal of Permits. Renewal of permits will be re- quired within a short time. The three-year time limit expires for 4735 drivers in July. During the 12-month pericd beginning July more than 100,000 permits will have to be renewed. Every permit is but a scrap of papcr three years from the date perforated on the permit itself. Failure to have a new permit can cost the driv anything from $2 up to $40. To avoid congestion at the Traf- fic Bureau applications for new licenses may be cbtained from the various police precinctsthrough- out the city. These agpxicatmns may be made out with the number It is of the old permit included and| sent to the Traffic Bureau by mail with the neccssary check or money order. The new permits will then be mailed to the motor- ist. Holders of bad traffic records may have their permits held up until they can pass an examina- ticn. The date on the new per- mits will be stamped this year instead of perforated. The per- foration of the old permits caused a lot of dissatisfaction, as the date was hard to read. Old Barney Helps. Walter Johnson, manager of the Washington Base Ball Club, and idol of every youth, tock his hand in helping traffic conditions the other day when he sent the following letter to H. V. Schreiber of the safety committee, which was printed in a recent issue of the Chevy Chase News: “To the Boys: I have been told recently that many of our arterial highway stop signs have been badly damaged, and in some cases entirely ruined, by the practice of some of you boys using them as targets. I hope you boys will not do this any more. Those signs cost money, but more important than that, thcy safeguard human life. I know you fellows like to throw. I do myself. But try to get out somewhere where you can throw with a free arm, and, best of all, a free conscience.” This message, coming from Old Barney, undoubtedly will do a lot of good. A letter of appreciation was written by Mr. Harland. Left-Hand Turns. The present method of making left-hand turns in the National Capital was again criticized when Benjamin J. Eynon, registrar of motor vehicles of Pennsylvania, attacked the method in a letter to the American Automobile Associ- ation, after a recent visit to the city. l\)&r. Eynon described the method as “antiquated,” and expressed surprise that it should be in force in the city where the Hoover uni- form motor vehicle code was formulated. Ernest N. Smith, general man- ager of the A. A. A, replying to Mr. Eynon, decried the system, and stated that he felt that many motorists frem the various States avoided Washington because of the “antiquated” regulation. Whether the method is anti- quated or not, it surely does not seem Lo be the best one, and cer- tainly it is only the best one that the motorist wants for the Capital of the Nation. Ferry Schedule. Motorists will steer their cars {0 the resorts where bathing and fishing abound before many days pass. Good roads abcund in all directions, and so it just de- pends upon the weather man Those interested in traveling through the Eastern Shore of Maryland will find the following Claiborne-Annapolis ferry sche ule of value. The Summer sched- ule was effective May 15: The ferry leaves Annapolis lam, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm. and 7 p.m. The ferry leaves Claiborne daily and Sunday, 8 am., 10 am., 1 p.m 3 pm, 5 pm. and 7 p.m. The timz across the bay is about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Eastern Shore roads are no longer of cyster shells. | The Auto Radio. Although the saturation point | has in no way been reached in the radio industry, there is a concert- ed cffort to urge automobile own- ers to have them installed in their cars. Some automobiles come equipped with them. It will mean more frent-seat talkers than | back-seat talkers. Whether the | radio helps sell the car, or the car the radio, is hard to decide. According to one corporation | engaged in hooking up the radio with the auto, experimental work aleng this line has been made dur- ing the last three years, in which time all of the difficulties incident to clear reception in a moving automcbile are said to have been conquered. How the varying of the car’s direction as it winds in and around curves can be kept | frcm affecting the reception is | not explained. | It is not explained, cither, how | the driver’s attenticn is kept con- centrated on driving his car. | Traffic_officials are not in accord | with distractions to the driver. | Radio operation while the car is | being driven may be banned, as | onc-arm driving, in certain States. Its use, however, marks another iepoch in the comforts of travel. | What wouldn’t cne of the old pioneers have given for a radio in the covered-wagon days? One manufacturer describes the auto-radio as follows: “Reception is claimed to be as | perfect as that obtainable with | the most expensive sets in the quiet of the home. Special pat- | ented construction completely | shields the receiving set from in- | terference by the electrical units | necessary to the operation of the | automcebile, which previously had | constituted the chief obstacle to a | satisfactory combination of the automcbile and the radio. With- out this shield construction every flash of each spark plug would produce a separate crash of static, which at high engine speeds would merge into a continuous roar. Other new developments have overcome the difficulties pre- sented by the movements of the chassis and by the impossibility of obtaining a ground by reason of the rubber tires, which insulate the car from the earth. Parts Concealed. “After installation all mechan- ical parts of the radio are con- | cealed from view. The only vis- ible evidence of its presence is re- vealed by the spcaker, which is placed directly above the wind- shield, and by the dials, which are carried in the center of a specially designed instrument panel, re- placing the regular panel. Added utility is provided by an extension socket on the special panel. Into this sccket may be plugged an in- sulated 100-foot extension wire connected to a portable loud speaker. This feature permits use of the car radio at picnics, camps, Summer homes, etc. The car speaker and the extension speaker may be cperated either separately or simul taneously. “A lock independent of the co- incidental ignition and transmis- sion lock on the car protects the set from molestation or tamper- ing. Other details of the installa- tion include an aerial concealed within the roof of the car and a water-proof and interference- proof case of B and C batteries carried in a special recess under the floor boards. A battery power is obtained from the automobile storage battery, the electrical flow being so slight that it cannot be registered by the ammeter. “Such simplicity of construction has been achieved in the new automobile radio as to render it practically foolproof. And this ‘same simplicity also is responsible in great part for the low cost at which it may be built and sold, the automobile radio being less expensive than a majority of hcme radio sets.” . PROPER CARE ADDS TO TIRE MILEAGE By actual tests on' bus fleets, where tires are subjected to constant usage under all kinds of weather conditions, it was found, according to tire men, that at least 25 per cent more mileage could | be added by proper care of tires. In some cases the increased mileage ran | as high as 100 per cent. This means that when tires are | checked so the right air pressure can | be maintained, the wheels checked far proper alignment, tires inspected so small cuts and bruises can be repaired | before they grow into costly and dan- gerous damages to the tires, the result | s much lower tire costs. While the owner of the average pas- | senger car does not subject his car to | anything like the service demanded of a truck or bus, still with Summer and warmer weather just ahead, all cars will | cover the bulk of their mileage for the year, within the next few months. | " "Another factor which contributes much to poor mileage, is the use of tires that are too small. Time after time, | when smaller tires have been replaced with those of larger size, an increase | in mileage has resulted. dal and Sunday at 8 am, 11 Prospect of Road With No Speed Limit Is Offered as Tourist Lure by Cuba By the Associated Press. HAVANA—Imagine three motoring in a foreign countr smooth road built like spanning great trop: crossing vast, savannahs covered with sugar cane, and cutting through precipitous moun- tain ranges. And no speed limit! That is the automobile prospect to be opened to America urists s the $100,000.000 Cuban Central Hig way is completed. It will run 700 miles along a along the backbone of the island from| Pinar del Rio, in Western Cuba, through Havana to Sentiago de Cuba, in_the picture mountain ranges of Oriente Province. Eleven tho men, more than 7.000 trucks and regiments of modern equipment are rushing the highway to completion. It is already 50 per cent completed. The first completed section between any two large cities will be op 20 when the 65 between Havana and Matanzas is for- { mally dedicated The highway passes through the cap- , | main high of six Cuban provinces. It will an auxiliary road system connec- | ting it with ports not reached by the and with more than 185 sugar cent | The ‘cost of the secondary system, parts of which are under construction, together with the central highway, will be more than $300,000,000. Warren Brothers, American engineers, were awarded contracts aggregating $60,000,- 000, while Associated Cuban Contrac- tors, Inc, hold contracts for the re- mainder. The highway will be reached from the United States by way of the spectacular Overscas highway, which cuts 125 miles across the palm-fringed | Florida keys from Miami to Key West. An eight-hour ferry ride from Key | West to Havana will take the motorist to the new highway, which is scheduled | for completion in 1930. The Cuban government has allowed foreign s free entry with three The highway will be free of grade crossings, and at no point will have more than a 5 per cent 1 grade, 5 THE ‘SUNDAY STAR. WASHINGTON, D. C. MAY 19, 1929—PART 4% MEETS ARIZONA& C\RCLE ON LEFT— AAR COMING AROUND —BY THORNTON FISHER GETS BEWIND AN OUT-OF- TOWN CaR—— == { e GETS BEHIND OUT-OF-TOWN OAR (N NARROW STREET INQUIRING DIRECTION— wonin [T '" D ANOTHER THAT TURNS oN A RED LIGHT= TOWN DO WORSE THING STOP BEEFING- IF You WERE A STRANGER (N YouD PROBABLY S— Milady’s Motoring BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. A hero is a man who says he feels entirely comfortable when wife has the wheel in trafic and a heroine is the woman who makes him feel he's telling the truth. Have you ever driven for quite a while only to discover that you forgot to let off the emergency brake? And did you feel that your neglect called for a trip to the service station? If 50, you probably worried needlessly. It may encourage carelessness to suggest this, but the truth is that with internal expanding emergency brakes the bands quickly expand away from the shoes through friction heat, so that the mis- take never is as serious as it seems. Many things may cause the engine to stall and refuse to start again with- out coaxing. But you can determine if the trouble is lack of gasoline merely by cranking the engine and noting if there is smell of gas. The exhaust should be emitting unburned gas vapor if there is fuel in the tank. It should be of special interest to women to know that one of the newest devices to kill glare of headlights is built on the principle that if you look through a dark screen you are not so likely to be blinded. I wonder if any woman has experimented with veils to see if they can be used profitably in this connection. No, it doesn’t necessarily waste gas to climb a hill in second instead of high. Tests show that a lower gear is more economical in more instances that the average driver suspects, With the modern car, “high” is more eco- nomical if you can keep the speed over 25 miles an hour. ‘What with a lady’s cigarette burning up the Los Angeles automobile show and the Chicago agency of a leading make of car being managed ‘by a woman who thinks nothing of ordering 300 machines at a clip, it begins to look of if trumping your partner's ace doesn’s have quite the same importance in the newer scheme of things. Sometimes mention of the most technical of matters in connection with cars helps to clear up doubts regarding some of the things every driver ought to know about. This thought recently came to me when a woman asked what was meant when an engine was re- ferred to as “four-cycle.” I explained that this classified the engine as to a general type. The “cycles” refer to the functions of the pistons. In a “four-cycle” engine of any number of cylinders, for instance, each piston goes through four major functions as follows: Going downward it sucks in a fresh charge of gas. Coming up it compresses this charge. Then comes a spark from the respective spark plug, igniting the gas and sending the piston downward again on a power stroke. The next supward move is the exhaust stroke when the piston forces the burned gas out the exhaust pipe. Aiming his message at American women a manufacturer recently said in praise of his new model: “Great, broad, sweeping Bois de Boulogne fen- ders—cushions from the Palais Royal —high, natow radiator from the Champs-Elysees—board doors suggested | and demanded by women who know— those new, small, sturdy wheels—those real fat tires.” There is a rumor to the effect that the engine, A woman does not need to know all the ins and outs of the engine lubri- cating system to be suspicious of the three-year-old car that does not seem to use much oil. When an engine is worn much of the fluid in the crank- case that registers as oil is apt to be raw gasoline that has worked by the pistons. One thing milady can do to protect the finish of the family car is to have coverings hung on the inside of the garage doors if the glass is clear. If a car-stands in a garage with doors facing the sun the finish on the back will soon fade. If the car gets stuck in the mud so that the rear wheels spin around don’t invite your passengers to get out. Their weight is helpful in getting trac- tion. One reason for the wheel spin- ning is because too much power is be- to second gear and keep the emergency brake partly on. (Copyright 1929 by The Russell Service.) De Paolo, Retired, May Drive Again The rumor is current that Pete De Paolo, who retired from racing last year, may drive again in the Indian- apolis 500-mile grind. Tom Milton, in retirement two years, has entered a ‘car which CIiff Durant, millionaire driver, will pilot. Ralph DePalma, another veteran who has said he was finished with the Indianapolis track, also has entered a car, as has Harry Hartz, injured and retired. Followers of the racing game wonder if these veterans can resist the smell of castor and not be lured back - nto a coFy car carries an ing transmitted to the rear end. Shift| By the Associated Press. LANDENBURG, Germany.— Almost simultaneous with ti-> establishment of a new motor car spced record in Florida there died here one of the men who helped make this a motor age. A bare 44 years ago, when Karl | Benz's high three-wheeled “motor | velocipede” made its noisy, smoky way down Mannheim streets, it was hailed with ridicule as “an absurdity that never will amount to anything.” It was only his tenacious clinging to a childhood ambition in spite of much discouragement that gave the world within the span of a single lifetime an important development in its great motor industry. “My favorite idea,” Benz wrote, “was always the thought of setting the loco- motive on the street. I wanted to free it from its bondage, and even in high school the chant ‘without rail’ was the undercurrent of thought that ran through all my work.” Benz's death vividly brought home the almost startling brevity of the “motor_carriage's” career. The inventor's first car made its ex- istence known by violent rattlings and bangings. It sputtered and chugged #hile the onlookers stood open-mcuthed Automotive Briefs Ken Cloud, maintenance editor of Motor, addressed a large gathering of Washington automotive ‘parts jobbers at a meeting Tuesday night at Gonzaga Hall. Bazzuro Engineering Company. Bearing Sales Corporation, _Creel Brothers, Carey A. Davis, Miller-Dudley Co., National Service Co., and Phelps- Roberts Corporation were represented. Chester H. Warrington, president of the Warrington Motor Car Co., Inc, announces the removal of his sales- rooms and offices from 1712 Connecti- cut avenue to 2035 Seventeenth street northwest, where increased space will enable him to have the salesrooms, service departmentsand offices all under one roof. Dirt-filled ol comes from your crank- case to the AC Oil Filter Clean oil flows from thefilter |; back to your \i, . engine Change your AC Oil Filter Cartridge ! Every 10,000 Miles | HIS efficient filter which takes the dirt out of your engine'’s oil only needs attention once in 10,000 miles. . Let your dealer take out the dirt- laden cartridge and put in a new i one. This simple operation will keep the oil itself so clean that ;ou can use it unchanged for ,000 miles. That’s economy which pays its | way. See your dealer now. | A C Spark Plug Company FrinNT, Michigan ©1929, AC Spark Plug Co. Distributors Southern Wholesalers, Inc. German Enthusiast Who, 44 Years Ago, Invented Motor Car Is Called by Death and speechless. On its first run its steering wheel got out of control and the machine wavered and came to a halt. The crowd jeered at the “useless absurdity.” But Benz refused to be discouraged. By 1887, with a four-wheel model, he was sufficlently encouraged to take out his first patents, which he jokingly termed the “birth certificate” of the great-grandfather of the automobile. Benz remained almost throughout his life a prophet unappreciated in his | own land, for only distrust and lack of interest greeted his first real suc- cesses and it was left to France and the United States to give him his first 1ecognition and support. | He finally succeeded in_establishing the Mannheim Gasoline Engine Fac- tory. which later developed into the Benz Works, an organization which spread to international proportions, lay- ing a foundation for the world-wide motor and automobile industries .of today. 'RADICAL CHANGES TO RULE Special Dispatch to The Stdr. DETROIT, Mich., May 18—To im- prove design, performance and econ- omy of the modern passenger auto- mobile the powers that govern auto- mobile racing in the United States are soon to venture on a radical change. May 30, at Indianapolis, the tiny one-man cars of 91 cubic inch cylinder displacement will face the wire for the last time on this speedway, which for 20 years has been what newspaper men often refer to as “the crucible in which motor cars are refined.” The result of the tests there has been continuous development of a racing strain, which may be likened to improvement of the breed in race horses. “The racing car of today,” says W. D. Edenburn, member of the contest board of the American Automobile Associa- tion, “is like the race horse. It has been bred so fine that it is no longer any good for draught work or pas- senger work. “Next year, therefore, racing will go back to the two-man type of car with limits on size of engines, modified so as to bring the cars within the class commonly used on the highways by the average motorist.” Race Average Gains. This year will be the eleventh con- secutive time Mr. Edenburn has been in charge of the annual 500-mile con- test. He has been connected in various capacities with the running of every race since the beginning, in 1909. In 1911 came the victory of Ray Har- roun, in the Marmon “Wasp,” a car displating 447 cubic inches and aver- aging 74 miles an hour for the distance. Comparing that with the performance of the car which won in 1925 gives some idea of what has becn achieved. In 1925 Peter De Paolo, holder of the present 500-mile mark for Indianapolis, came in ahead, having averaged 101.13 miles an hour. Harroun’s car was not the older two- man type which carried mechanician as well as driver, Harroun rode alone, with a rear-view mirror as his me- chanic. De Paolo’s was the immediate predecessor of the 91-inch car of to- day. It displaced 122 inches in all. Since the tiny 91's have been in use De Paolo’s time has not been equaled, S approached. h year for the 2 hope is that the plants will follow Mr. 91-inch class, “vest-pocket” powc suit and set ths record higher. Edenburn is confident they will. significant, in his opinion, that in 1911, the year of the first race that began the 'history of gasoline speed, there were 46 entries. For this year’s con- test there are the same number, It being deemed impractical, if not impossible, to reduce engine sizes fur- ther with the.hope of gaining anything worth while in research, the year 1930 The Advantages of FOUR SPEEDS FORWARD FIVE CHASSIS—SIXES AND EIGHTS $895 to $2495 NEXT YEAR'S RACING AUTOS Indianapolis Speedway Will Try to Get Passenger Car Makers in Contest to Replace “Wasps.” will see race cars revert to type as fast common carriers of humanity. New rules have been drawn by which it is hoped to get the big quantity pro- . ducers of stock cars to enter again and bring back the old days. ‘The new two-man racers the regu- lations call for will have power plants that parallel in size those of the fast stock cars of the roadster type now available from the principal makers. They will go a little more than half way back toward the 600-inch engines 1 of long ago. Top displacement has been agreed upon as 366 inches in cylindrical content. The superchargers, those marvelous ~ little fans that revolve at 35,000 revo- lutions per minute and blow the ex- plosive mixtures into the engines of the 91-inch racers, will not be allowed on the new jobs, at least in the four- cycle division. In the two-cycle class they will be permitted under certain conditions. With superchargers off and revolu- tions cut down to 5.400 a minute, the roaring exhaust that once thrilled the * grandstands will be back again—wel- come music to the dyed-in-the-wool motor car fan. This “freight train roar” is something the people have missed. The small cars with super- chargers turning approximately 35,000 revolutions per minute and the crank- shaft speeds between 7,000 and 8,000 a minute do not roar but whine or hum at full speed. Engineers on Board. Engineers and chief executives of factories are now considering, and in some cases designing, cars to try for the speed laurels in 1930. The contest board of the American Automobile As- sociation has on its technical com- mittee for next year such representa- tive engineers as Col. Willlam G. Wall, Indianapolis, past president of the So- clety of Automotive Engineers; 8. G. Baits, chief engineer for Hudson; Carl. - Breer, executive engineer for Chrysler; Thomas J. Little, jr., Marmon; D. G. Roos, chief engineer of the Studebaker Corporation; Col. J. G. Vingent, Pack- ard; H. C. Snow, Auburn, and Frank E. Watts, chief engineer of the Hupp Mo- tor Car Corporation. Naturally, the question arises what they are going to do with the little cars to be discarded. This is an- swered by Mr. Edenburn in this*way. “The 46 little racers entered at Indian- apolis this year represent an investmen* or $500,000. The total the 10 cars firs past the wire can hope to win, includ- ing major and minor prizes, is abou! $100.000. . “Racing and the building of racing cars have reached a point where the expense is tremendous. One break in a supercharger, for instance, will cost (Continued on Sixth Page.) [Two High Speeds—Standard Gear Shift] High road speeds with low engine speeds, a new smoothness, and rapid accelera- tion in traffic are among the advantages of the time-proved Graham-Paige four speed transmission which have won the enthusiastic approval of many thousands of owners. In addition there is longer life, Car illustrated is Model 621, six cylinder, four passenger Coupe with Four Speeds Forward, $1595. All prices at factory—special equip- ment extra on all models. remarkable ease of handling, and lessened strain on both car and driver. You are 1519-21 L St. N.W. Decatar 130 Graham-Paige Company E. B. Frazier Motor Co. 518 10th St. N.E. invited to enjoy the thrill of Four Speeds Forward. 4P Sineliines /Mwéfi@/ et am” of Washington, D. C. Factory Branch—1526 14th Street N.W. Logan Motor Co. 1812 E St. N.W. National Auto Sales Co. 33 N. Y. Ave. N.E. RARAM-BAIGE (12084-D)