New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-14

In time Of war. the transportation
Of the supplies OF tho army Is not
only one Of tho most important but
q, the same time ono Of the most DIM
cult problems 10 solve.
As VIC have sll seen in the cXpedi-
ton into Mexico after Villa, the rear
d;ncp,tv has been in transporting sup
nile. 20 that fast moving column. The
real anxiety: Will they be able 70
keen the troops supplied?
1t is always so; and yet important
g. this subject is. there IS no branch
Of preparedness that has received 50
Ettle attention. You hear on all sioeS
to-day that what the country needs IS
trained men. in arms and ammunition
hut not word about the tranSpor'a-
t;on necessary to feed these mon once
they take the field, 10 keep tnem
supplied with ammunition and TO care
for their sick and wounded.
This neglect is largely due not so
-,rch 20 a lack Of appreciation OF us
;-,,or+anee. as 20 realization that con-
5;t;on. have changed. Formerly ooth
side, relied upon snimsl-drawn Ven'-
c,.. for their wheel Transportation
arA Tint. Of one kind OF another eouiO
s,m.rs he secured IN quantities with
on, much trouble All Of this mas
he.n changed overnight, as II were
ri+b the advent Of the motor truck
rho lessons that we are learning
from, the present war IN Europe en-
nbasize the vital necessity LOT .n
ysnid movement Of troops ana W..
tbat must 20 the stu more IaP,N
n,ovement Of supplies for these lIoops'
We know that to-day the greaI na
tions Of the world who arc at va
relv shout entirely upon motor tIu0AS'
that. they made as desperate c,oit9
20 obtain them as they dld 10 oD;dl.
ammunition II follows tna'' uI4esS
We are equally prepared We VII 81
case Of war. be at TREMENDOUS uiS0u
vantage We do not, however n.y.
90 TO the European war TOT our re-
Son with the miles OF desert between
CoIrr,bus. \. VI. and Casas Grandes: IL
you'd have been practically lmpossiDIe
20 have supplied even the handful OF
yoen that VIC have in Mexico, hsd II
~ been for the motor truck. let we
L.d practically none when the neeG
.rose and were obliged TO purchase ana
sh;n them TO the border. VINO can
telI what change there might be IN the
results had they been Immediately
An infantry division Of $4,000 ofhcer'
snd men. together with their anlmais'
consume daily $4,000 pounds OF l9ou'
.nd IL YOU stop to realize that mooerh
=, ,y,Ses are no longer counted by Ihou-
sands but by millions, you Will under-
stand how impossible 1t would pc 70 Sc
cure the necessary number Oh TRUCKS,
nv purchase or otherwise, AFTER "ai
W" Before going into details as to just
what YOU can do toward preparedness,
want 70 tell you one OF GeneIH Ia,
Woods definitions Of preparedness.
He compares II TO KNIFE WIN snap
adse and a heavy back, which repre-
ss6ts in the sharp edge the fighting llne
snd hack Of that the organization OF the
rateriel. personnel, transportation OF
the resources of the country Tor the
,rmv. which keeps that ed e, as u
wears away, resupplied and sharPened'
and which furnishes the weight that is
behind the blow. We cannot all belong
70 the sharp edge, and, if we did, there
would be nothing with which to keep 1t
sharp and to put the weight necessary
into the blow; but we can all md and
mi an important place in that heavy
back. -, -. vo-
bicIes. whose average march is eighteen
miles day, it has beennecessary TO es-
tablish reflling points when the troops
went beyond that distance. Inc amount
of extra transportation a'a.'a advsr q.
of Inc railhead these points could be
nusbod. A very complete article pub