The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-09-03
ARMY AUTOMOBILES
TO CARRY SUPPLIES
CommiSSary Department Is
Making Study of Motor
transportation.

That the War Department Is going ID
give increased attention TO the use OF
automobiles and auto trucks for the
purpose Of army transport in the future
is the opinion OF the best-informed army
officers.
II is likely that at no distant date
steps Will be taken TO equip the army
with automobiles Of the sort which have
been found valuable for transportation
purposes. These are the auto trucks
They are not the swift vehicles such IS
are suitable for Joy riding" They are
Of the kind which are capable OF hauling
heavy loads at a good rate of speed
over roads OF the ordinary sort
While the reports from the Massachu-
sets maneuvers have not yet been re-
ceived by the War Department, il IS the
understanding here that the automobile
played an important part in those
maneuvers. Automobiles were used for
carrying dispatches and there is every
reason 10 believe. in the opinion OF Of
I ficers who have given the subject atten-
ton. that they have q value in army
work in this field OF dispatch bearing
I They were also used for the purpose OF
transporting commissary and quarter
masters supplies and here they weree
found especially useful
41OASS always NeeQeQ.
1t is not expected by the army ex-
perts in the subject o. transportatiaa
that the auto truck or the automobile
can supplant the horse or the mule
F., Always there viii be ample use for the
wagon train drawn by horses or mules,
and there will always be use for tie
mule as pack animal The cavalry
and artillery. Of course. viii draw he'd
fFrr m 81.
/ II ever there is a war Of any large pro-
portions IN times of practically i'm
/ passable roads or very bad roads It
I would doubtless be impossible 70 do 3
: great deal in the transportation OF SUD
plies by auto. But in ordinary weather
/ over ordinary roads IL mas been proven
I the auto truck Is invaluable Tor to-
/ transportation of food clothing ana
/ equipment, and while tho American
! army has done little toward squipping
! itself accordingly, there IS little doub-
! II VIII speedily nave 10 come 10 IL Ir
| is said n the War Department that 1t
/ is probable that in view OF the general
| movement TO economic no attempt viii
l be made the coming session 10 ser sFe-
cine apprOprIa tons for automobile
I However, IL is also stated that the quar-
| teTmaster generals department ha-
funds which it can use for this purpcse
| If il seems desira BILE
! Commissarv General Henry G. Sharpe
I Is one OF the strong believers IN the Use
I Of the auto truck IN the transportation
( OF supplies. While transportation IS
matter for the quartermaster general.
] at the same time General Sharpe tss
given a geVat deal o. thought 90 the
/ subject by reason OF the intimate reis-
ton OF the question OF proper transDUr-
tariOn 10 the feeding OF troops. General
Sharpe points out that 10 the wars ~
I the future the auto Is gcius 10 be i1-
dispeusable. for the reason that there
will be enormous forces To be fed and
supplied and they viii stretch over a
wide front.
Carrying Food
Speaking Of the vast problem OF teea-
ing modern army General Sharpe
Hkened it 10 feeding the population 81
the city of Washington lie said II was
an easy problem II that population were
not moving. but Il the population OF the
city were 10 move ahead ten or fifteen
or twenty miles every day, il would be
a gigantic task 10 keep all supplied With
food. not to mention other supplies Ho
| thinks that. owing TO the fac- the amt
truck can carry heavy loads over los 8
distance IN quick time 10 IS iudisper-
/ sable 10 the modern army
. The French army Is making free use
of the auto truck IN carrying commits
sarv ard other supplies. General Sharpe
/, [ some months ago visited Europe, AID
! studied the cOmmiSsaTy systems OF the
best European armies He pointed Oh
3 that the French Tor the last two yeaIs
had used AT auto train TO supply lo,eV
men IL field naueuVerS. They were
% I found to work admirably.