The Washington herald., 1916-07-02
The Herald Army and Navy Department

During the past ten days the War De-
partment has been negotiating with vari-
Gus motor truck manufacturers of the
United States for the purchase of about
l,sOO more automobile transport trucks
for service with the American army along
the border and in Mexico. number OF
contracts for the purchase of these vehi-
cles have already been placed.
The army quartermasters have met
with considerable difficulty in obtaining
from the manufacturers terms which will
Insure prompt delivery of the trucks. as
the European demand continues almost
unabated and there seems no likelihood
OF the War Department having its de-
mands met In preference to existing
orders from Europe, unless the depart
ment avatls itself OF the authority grant
ed by the national defense act, which
confers on the army the. right to seize
a plant and manufacture it's product
under government supervision when there
is disposition TO refuse to fill war orders
OF course, this provision applies only in
time Of imminent or actual warfare.
At the present time, It is proposed to
purchase enough motor trucks TO prop
erly equip ffty-two motor truck compan-
les, each company to consist Of thirty
three trucks. These thirty-three trucks
will be distributed for the service OF each
company as follows: Cargo trucks
thirty; kitchen and repair, one; gasoline
con tainers, two.
The purchase contemplates the acquisi-
ton OF trucks about equally divided in
weight between the 3-ton and 1-2-ton
size. These and other trucks, II is SAID
will be Necessary later on. chiefly due to
the increase in military operations
In case extensive fighting develops in
y..g11 al l.
chase a quantity OF ammunition trucks
The military experts of the army have
come TO a full realization that army
work. particularly in Mexico. depends In
large measure upon motor transportation
.of supplies. 1t is safe to assume that
railroad communications in the border
country would be destroyed and motor
transportation would mount into the mil
lions Of dollars in the event OF hostilities
According to current figures, the de-
partmcnt has already purchased for serv.
ice along the border and in Mexico nc
less than 5s4 trucks. which are used by
trucks are used for miscellaneous pur.
poses.
Another enormous expenditure recently
authorized by the Secretary Of War i,
the purchase Of horses and mules to the
amount of nearly 100000. Within a
short time. the army hopes to acquire
about 1900 cavalry horses, 5000 artillery
horses, 1900 pack mules, 5, 100 wheel mules
and $500 lead mules.
Orders for the purchase Of these
animals have already been placed BY
depot quartermasters at the following
places: Front Royal. Va, 100 cavalry
horses, 100 pack mules. At Seattle. 10
artillery horses 100 mack rnules. Fort
Reno Remount Station, $500 cavalry
horses go artillery horses, 100 whee
mules, 1910 lead mules and 800 pscE
mules; Fort Sam Houston, 500 cavalry
horses, $3.50 artillery horses. 1850 lead
mules. $50 wheel mules, 200 pack mules
Kansas City. $500 cavalry horses. 1900
artillery horses. $50 wheel mules, 203
lead mules, 395 pack mules, at Fort
Mason, 50'lead mules. 235 artillery horses
90 wheel mules. $40 pack mules.
Just at the time when the quarter
masters office was almost buried under
the mass OF routine which naturally &C
companies a transa ction so large. officials