The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-12-01
MOTOR CANNON
TOSPEED UP WAR,
EXPERT SAYS
Tractors Carrying Big Guns
Make Way Regardless
of Roads
NEW WAR AUTOS CAN
TRAVEL ACROSS COUNTRY
Tractors Used by Germans
Show Genius For Such
Construction

| LONDON, Dec. THAT motor ar
tillery may be used by the belliger-
ents TO a much greater extent than
at present before the present war ID
over. is the conclusion OF II. Massac
BUST, an automobile expert. ex-
pressed in an article published here.
He bases this idea on the success or
motor transport over broken coun-
try. Approving the phrase. This Is
motor war;" he says:
"One of the most interesting phases,
In face Of future Developments OF au-
tomobilism for military purposes, 10
those vehicles which have been de-
signed, and which are being used for
breaking across country where roads
do not exist or where surfaces are
exceedingly bad. In this connection
some extraordinary ingenious pio-
neer work has been done In this
country. notably the Dtplock-Pedrail.
IL the inventor had received more
support, undoubtedly this system Of
self-propelled vehicle could have been
brought TO a stage at which Its prac.
throughout the world today.
"As II Ii, since 1878 he has been
perfecting his machinery every year.
and got II to an extraordinary stage
before the war broke out. Some OF
the heavy machines that the Ger
mans are using reveal, moreover, that
they have not been slow to study his
ingenious scheme whereby a self
propelled road vehicle can also De
made to break across country, over
ploughed fields or any other surface
that 1t may be necessary TO negotiate.
Antarctic Idea Copied.
"In Belgium the Germans have been
using heavy motor tractors with
wired wheels in front, designed to In
sure steering way when going through
slime, In that whichever way they
tend TO slide they must presently dig
themselves in deeper laterally. The
rear driving wheels are really vari-
ant of another British idea evolved
in some OF the wolseley-built motor
sledges that were taken with Capt.
Scott on his Antarctic expedition.
"In both these machines you have
the notion of vehicle with an end
lessly long base track, which II keeps
relaying and which Is designed to be
OF character that Is bound TO grip
on any surface. In the Antarctic,
where the surface was frozen hard,
difficulties were experienced. But in
the Diplock- Pedrai1 invention, where
In the machine puts down and takes
up series OF feet on endless rollers,
and which Is designed for military
uses. from the earliest beginnings
many years ago, we have had ma
chine that has shown itself capable OF
coming out of the slime OF river beds
and so forth.
Practically all the manufacturing
difficulties have been eliminated as
the result of cumulative experience
We must therefore have in mind that
the powers engaged in this campaign
are not only using motor traction
where roads are available; they are
besides able to employ II as extern
sively as they have the enterprise to
do over places where roads do not
exist. This, therefore, is the assur-
ance we possess that In future wars
II will not be necessary to employ
horsehauled artillery. with the re-
suit that campaigns will be still fur
Their speeded up.
ExceIs Horse In Speed.
There is no need to halt a me-
chanically propelled vehicle to rest II.
It's rate of progress can be faster than
that OF a horse. It's fuel Is much more
easily transported than the food
needed by quadruped. Indeed, from
a very early stage OF the development
OF motoring II has been repeatedly
foretold in these columns that, soon
or late, the elimination Of the horse
in connection with artillery service Is
Inevitable.
"Of course, we should have had
motor artillery years ago were II not
that so long as we supply such We
hicles with ordinary wheels, SO long
must we necessarily conf1ne the use
OF them to roads IL they are to be
self-propelled. This war Is affording
proof, however, of the fact that the
overland motor vehicle can be built
with ut-of-the-ordinary wheels In
combination with feet or pads de-
signed to secure grip on broken
country. II Is merely a matter of
time before we get motor artillery"