Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-09-30
BRITAIN'S NEW ENGINE OF
WAR IS HUGE HOLT TRACTOR

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bade him not To start the brute down
the stairs Of the dug-out. but move 4
to one side and wait. So the tank
ambled. with the bulky leisure OF .
hippopotamus. over some more she'll
craters to place where Il would be
out OF the way until II was needed.
But The exploit of the Canadians Il
only one OF the many chapters which
may be told now OF what the soldiers
have unanimously called the tank OF.
fensiye," having reference to the new
arrnored motor cars. There was q
London division, comprising represen-
tatiyes of all classes OF the great efty's
life. who were told that they must
reach their objective In q given time.
Stiff Task for Londoners
In front of them in High Wood was
d fastness OF machine guns which
neither the artillery nor the trench
mortars had been able to reduce. How
ever, il was the business OF the Lon.
doners to be on time In reaching the
given point on the map and to hold on
there until further notice
These orders were all very simple
and direct" said one OF the London
ers afterward. with grim smile, hut
these Germans In their fort knew that
il was life.and-death fight, and al
that was required Of them was 10 put
their fingers on the triggers Of their
machine guns when we charge.
Left 20 Blooming Tank
I'VE left ii to the blooming tank
We had to take chances OF those ma
chine guns shooting into our backs Il
the tanks could not do the Job. But
orders were orders and we had to
reach that point on the map. We
reached, and the tanks wiped out the
machine guns
It's Hugh Holt Tractor
Finally. here is the explanation. and
prosaically enough, from stockton,
Cal-an interview there with the head
of the Holt Manufacturing Company,
who declares that the mighty engine
is a huge Holt tractor:
STOCKTON, Cal, Sept. 19-ThEt
the big 120-horsepower caterpillar trac.
tors being manufactured for the Brit.
ish government by the Holt Manufac-
turing Company at its plants In Stock
ton. CAL. and Peoria, Ill, are now
being used as armored motor cars IN
France In assaults on German
trenches, Is the news which comes
out from Washington today. The sue.
cess OF the British tanks a. they
have been called, has. been such a 10
attract worldwide attention. UntIl re-
Gently these caterpillars. designed
originally for modern farming. have
been used by TIE Ailles prinoIp pity ~
tow big guns
Destructive Engines
Now, according to dispatches. they
have been transformed into fighting
machines, or "Iand battleships.
The way they hurdle German
trenches, crawl over shell craters ana
through swamps and marshes Is the
marvel Of the modern age Except for
their armor. their guns and their
crews, they are no different than
thousands of @caterpillars now ID
use in farming operations IN the
United States today.
Stockton is the home Of the cater.
pillar tractor, II was invented here
by Benjamin Holt, president OF the
Holt Manufacturing Company.
I'VE have been shipping two cater.
pillars per day to the British govern
ment for the past Is months, said
Plimy z. Holt Of Stockton, vice-presi-
dent Of the Holt Manufacturing Com
pany. this morning. tAll OF the mo-
tors, that Is the gas engines, are manu-
featured In Stockton. We ship them
to our plant at Peoria, where the cater
pillars are assembled We have no
direct knowledge Of the purpose for
which they are to be used They are
shipped as agricultural machinery OF
course, we have representatives over
in England, but they are sworn 70
secrecy.
Armored In England
II the caterpillars are armored that
is done after they reach England.
should say that we have shipped ap-
proximately 1000 Of the big tractors to
Europe"
The local plant OF the Holt Com
pany has been working overtime for
months turning out war orders for the
Allies.