The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-11
CHAUFFEURS GET HONOR MEDALSIN
 ARMY OF FRANCE
Once "Soft" Post Has Be- come Dangerous One With
 Chance for Heroism.

Bar-le-Duc. France, May 1.-The post of military motor-car conductor,
 much sought as sort of safe refuge near the front and a soft berth in the rear during the earlier period of the war, has become post of honor. Many drivers are now wearing the coveted war cross: a few of them have earned the military medal.
 Motor car transports carrying men and munitions did what the railroads would have done had their lines been sufficient in the battle of Verdun. There was nothing but a local departmental narrow gauge railroad leading from the supply depots behind the front to the battle feld-inadequatea to bring up supplies alone, to say nothing of re- linforcem ents, cannon and ammunition. To provision the army of Verdun it was necessary to exploit a circuit of 1 85 miles of road like a railroad with | motor cars. The motor car acquitted itself so we'll that it was cited in the | orders of the day of the army. Mo ter 1orries, motor tractors dragging big
 guns, motor-a11s bringing up rein Iforcements, motor ammunition trans
 ports. succeeded each other around that 85 mile circuit at 20 second inter
 vals, forming a continuous line that amounted practically to the same thing as railroad train 85 miles long.
 The circuit is reserved exclusively
 for motor cars, and is exploited by a
 commission at Bar-1e-Duc that does
 nothing else than see that the route is
 kept free from obstruction, protected
 from the enemy's air craft, and that
 the endless line of cars is kept in mo
 ton. All night as well as all day the | line moves around the circuit. After
 dark a we'll organized signal service regulates the traffic and, as they ap-
 preach the front, transmits routing or ! o3ers to different detachments or cars bJ 1nTcIncus signs. At times with he
 slgnaIs and headlights the long Fir e
 resembles a gigantic glow worm craW - l linz around the circuit.
 l The route reserved to motor cars is
 divided into six sections, each with 8
 chief who supervises repairs by strong 1 crews of. military roadmen- in places
 where the wear has become excessive,
 and directs the police protection of the circuit. The same commission that keeps the route open and the cars nov ing supervises the loading of supplies and munitions at stations relatively
 remote from the front The drivers of ammunition cars receive their orders
 on starting-their destination is one of the most closely guarded secrets for 1t is as important to protect the ammunition depot at the front from possible indiscretions from the en-
 emy's aeroplane bombs. The spots are always chosen by expert eyes and Isolidly sheltered. On the return trip the motor car supply wagons bring back relieved troops, wounded men, T or damaged war material.
 | During the fifty days of this intense circulation night and day, the move I ment of the cars has been so we'll reg
 ulated that accidents have been sur prisingly rare. Casualties to drivers fa1so, have been comparatively few though the circuit is not out of range I of the enemy's artillery. The heavier II transports of material approach with lin a few miles of the firing line, the lighter ones much closer while the ambulance motor cars get right up to the fire. The driver. of course. has T contributed as much the iorganiza- ton to the results obtained. He is generally a man of the auxiliary, phys ically inape for armed service, or a territorial. Most of them are voIun- teers-men who had been given quiet
 berths in the rear but who, tired of them after a few months wanted to get into real action. They are more than accommodated here at present
 for the hours of rest are parcimon- iously counted. Drivers, sometimes
 vanquished by fatigue, drop asleep on the seats of their cars, overwhelming as if by te1epathic signal, often, just in
 time to avoid a catastrophy. The Istrain, physical and mental, is so great that the sick list is very long.