New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-02

With the American eXpeditonary
force now combng the desert ana
mountain wilderness OF Northern Mck-
zoo in pursuit Of the bandit VILLA
the greatest man hunt in history relies
mainly on motor trucks for MAINTAIN
ing the line Of communications ne
tween the permanent base At columbus,
n. NJ, and the field base south OF
Casas Grandes. Mexico
Without the aid Of the Mc&ican raul
WAYS and with each removal 81 lhc
field base adding 90 the distance ne
tween the field force and the border,
the responsibility Of the army trans
port service lis greatly increased me
TRANSPORTATION Of supplies from Column
bus TO the thousands of American cav
alrvmen. infantrymcn and artillcrymen
under General Pcrshing IS more de-
pendent on motor trucks than on
mules.
In fact. this is the first time IN
actual American war service that the
motor truck and the army mule nave
been pitted against each other under
the worst conditions 20 be encountered
in military service. And those VINO
rave observed the work Of both mule
and motor freely assert that the pres
ent campaign in Mexico IS inc last
stand of the army mule.
For transport work the War Depart
I1cnt has formed several units known
as "motor truck companies each con
sisting Of twenty-scvcn trucks for
hauling and one repair truck, an IN
charge of a truckmaster having three
assistants. twenty-eight drivers. one
mechanic. one mechanics helper and
one machinlst.
The first week Of actual service re
.,caled the superiority of trucks over
mules. not only IN the greater speed
and running radius of the trucks. but
in the reduction of labor. hauling units,
forage requirements and cost OF opera
ton. One of the first units 10 redcn
.nc front was Motor Truck Company
NO. / composed Of twenty CHIT Whites.
Ordered by longdistance telephone on
March II. these trucks we're shipped by
special train on March 10, and arrived
IN Columbus on March 10. only four
days after the advance column had
crossed the border
In less than six days after the order
was placed with the White Company
the first detail of White trucks had
reached the field base at Casas Grandes
with about twenty tons of rations. As
soon az the Cleveland trucks were I'M /
loaded on a siding at Columbus force /
Of army carpenters and mechanics I
fitted the trucks with feld-wagon and |
cayalry-wagon bodies The hcld-wagon /
bodies arrived in knockdown form, /
while the cavalry bodies were trans /
fcrred direct from cavalry wagons to /
trucks without need of alteration Of |
any kind
All of the bodies were mounted in |
one day, March u. and the first divi-
sion OF Whites. consisting of twelve J
trucks, was sent across the border TO !
begin the l30-mile run through the
desert sands and rough mountain trails
10 Casas Grandes. Each truck carried
two soldiers. The drivers. selected
from the White factory, were in civil
ian attire and carried no arms.
This division delivered its load at
the field base and returned 10 Column !
bus in three days. Mule teams aver
aged less than two miles an hour. DC
casionally. between the dispatching OF /
truck transports, a few oldstyie army |
field wagons were sent across the Dor |
der. carrying no greater load than the
trucks but drawn by four mules.
The second division Of Whites TO
leave Columbus consisted Of seven
trucks, which started from headquar
tiers at $3.50 2. H., on March 21. with I
a load Of supplies for the aviation
corps at the front. This load consisted
Of rations. gasolene. oil, tents, spare
parts of aeroplanes, knockdown hang
airs and others equipment BY starting
out late in The afternoon on day
when apprehension was felt for the
safety OF two missing aviators. this
division attracted considerable atten-
tion at Columbus.
The third detail consisted Of FIVE
trucks. which left Columbus at noon
on March %. carrying twenty huge
drums Of gasolene and oil. The i'm
mcnse quantities Of Gasolene required
by the various fleets of army trans
ports. aeroplancs. dispatch cars, motor
cycles. etc. presented A difficulty al
most as great as the difficulty OF get
ting an ample supply Of water for the
troops IN the field
For seventy-five miles south of Co
lumbus the route passes through only
two villages, and these have been de
rerted. The only opportunity 10 re
plenish water supply Is offered by the
roadside camps and kitchens which
have been established along the route
20 enable transport service TO keep go
ing night and day.
Every piece Of motor equipment now