The new general manager of 3/Iors, Ltd., Mr. Maurice Cappellen,
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is by no means new to the commercial-vehicle business. I have known him for many years, first of all when he introduced the Prunel bus to this country, and, moreover, drove it from Paris, which is something by way of a record ; after its arrival he personally steered it safely up the famous Netherall Gardens, with 14 passengers up, a proceeding he would probably hesitate to do to-day. Before that time he was connected with various motor enterprises, notably the Motorcar Emporium, who were well in the forefront in. the early days. Cappellen had all to do with the sale of the 110 de Mons to the London General Omnibus Co. Some time afterwards he joined the Gaulois Tyre Co., and I had the good fortime to meet him in many parts of England and Scotland, while he was working in the aulois interest. I gleaned from him, once, that he was made a member of the R.A.C. as far back as 1897, so he must be very nearly, if not quite, one of that select both,the founder members. Now he commencing a campaign with Mors, and I have just seen him installed in their new premises, at Long Acre, WO,, and taxicabs will be a prominent feature. So the eminent french firm is now represented by a son of France, and one who has lived here long enough to understand the English point of view. He retains the suavity, the polish, and the effervescence of the Gaul, and he has acquired, as far as I can see, some of the canniness of the Scot in his business methods.
* * * The one desirable place, it seemed to me, was Hendon, two Saturdays ago, and half London, so it looked, thought the same. One's interests in races often goes in a narrow groove, the non-racing man appears for an odd time at Ascot, and backs, probably with success, Pretty Polly, because it was reminiscent of a hopeless early infatuation. In the recent air race I wanted the English to win, and I wanted to see the Blackburn make a good show 1 it had acquitted itself with great credit at some meetings, and it is the private venture of Mr. G. W. Blackburn, the managing director of Thomas Green and Sons, Ltd., of Leeds, the makers of motor rollers, mowers, and tractors. England's turn, however, will have to come later. It may not be generally known that Conway Jenkins, one of the pilots, is a representative of Bedford Motors, Ltd., and Graham Gilmour, whose licence was suspended, until a short while ago was with the Adams Co.
In spite of the pro-English feelings which filled me, at the beginning of this contest, no one followed more closely, or more admiringly than myself, the doings of these two marvellous Frenchmen, and no one ever deserved a prize better than did Beaumont, and this leads me to some remarks which will occupy another paragraph.
It was put to me by a responsible gentleman in our branch of the motor business—he was not an Englishman—that in trying to fall in with the requirements of Scotland Yard the foreigner, with a foreign article, was at a tremendous disadvantage compared with his English competitor. My friend was convinced that the officials were so inoculated with the principle of England for the English that it was almost a ease of no others need apply ; I tried unsuccessfully to convince him how wrong he was. He said if he were an official, in his own country, he should just be the same, and I respectfully and solemnly agreed with him, but I have many evidences that we are not like that here ; it might be better for us if we were, but we Lake the foreigner into our bosoms, just as heartily and unreservedly as we do our own people, providing he shows himself a man to be depended upon. In our own branch of business the evidences of this are so obvious that it is needless to particularize, and I, for one, cannot believe that Scotland Yard makes any distinction.