Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-01
Autos Carried Munitions.

0uIOS Sdl14Co llAIlOhSs
The hour that IT became apparent
the Germans really meant to attack
verdun the French high command be-
gan to repair this deficiency in the
transport service. At dawn of the fol-
lowing day $4,000 automobiles of vari-
Gus sorts were engaged in supplying
Verdun with what its army needed.
The first reports current in Paris We're
that 5000 automobiles were set at this
work. I am told by an officer of the
automobile service the larger number
u accurate.
It is not sufficient merely to order
given number of automobiles TO haul
certain tons of freight to an indicated
point On the first of the automobiles
to .oll along these roads to Nerdun
were station masters ana road mend
=ers and patrols and mechanics and
every sort of supervisor and aid to the
auto transport. At intervals of hardly
more than mile stations were estab-
lished At first these stations consisted
of a few tired and bearded men who
waved flags at oncoming machines
BY noon of that day they had become
machine shops in tents. The automo-
-biles were run on the block system
A smashed machine was tipped into
the ditch Nothing was permitted to
impede the flo wof cars toward the city.
And the road members. said my
companion. Behold the road mend
ers,'
Road Members Sulky.
A road mender is always a grouchy
and uncompanionable person These
road members at first glance promised
to prove as surly as the remainder Of
the road mending race. They We're all
''poilusa' in the French army. blue and
of abundant whiskers dear to the
heart of the territorial soldier. They
were the older soldiers, a bit too well
on in years TO be top-hole for the front
trenches. but sturdy, solid, game Tight
ers lust the same. There was one
soldier road member almost 10 each
yard of the roads leading to Verdun.
THE beloved grumblers,' said my
companion, fondly.
A poilu turned d heated and indignant
face upon us. An hour previously this
road had been shelled by the Germans.
Some of the shells had fallen upon his
apportionment of turnpike. This had
eubittered him frightfully. That one
should spend his days cobbling up a
road for these Boche beasts to tear to
pieces with their sacre shells
Work Frequently Undone.
HIS lot was made the more unbear-
able by the fact that as he dropped
shovelsfuls OF crushed stone in the shell
holes automobiles would come spinning
along and splash the crushed stone out
again. It was impossible for him TO
make a finished and perfect job OF it
under such conditions. I saw him
shake a fist at a large truck that mad
offended. AS we came by he glared
That is the only word for it. He glared
"On some of the roads the shells drop
constantly" said my companion. But
these old grumblers pay no attention.
When the shells fan too fast they lie
down by the roadside and smoke their
pipes When the storm is over they
come growing back to the roadside
and patch the holes the shells have
made
Scores Of automobiles are continu-
ally at work bringing Tons Of crushed
stone to the places where it Is needed
Sometimes one section of road viii be
blocked" for an hour by the super
visors while il is being put back IN
condition by the road menderS- steam
rollers hammer down the newly laid
stone by day and night. These miles
of roads are beaded as to the edge with
heaps of crushed stone, "hlch - tossed
out in shovelfuls the moment bad
place appears on the roads surface.
Many Miles of Roads.
In order TO supply the needs OF YER
dun many miles of new road have been
1aii down since the battle began. Some
" these new roads are very fine af-
faars, piled high with crushed stone,
and others are of a temporary and
makeshift character. in which the new
cut grade has been hastily veneered
with stone surface Nowadays, of
course, the automobile traffic has great
ly slackened. The $4,000 cars en-
ployed during the first few days had TO
carry out of Verdun its $4,000 civilians,
as well carry in reserve stock OF
munitions of every sort.
At intervals over the hills one sees
puffs of brilliantly white steam. The
first assumption is that a shell has
just burst. After a short time at the
front each noise. each unusual aspect
of the landscape, each cloud of smoke
Is unhesitatingly ascribed to shells
After moment one observes that the
puffs of steam seem to be making
progress. Then one rides over q hill
TO 6nd one of the toy railroads that
have been 50 useful at the back of the