The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-10-09
BIGGEST LAND
NAVY IS NEED
or UNCLE SAM
BY KENNETH w. PAYNE

|, " W = 'fr1
NEW YORK. Oct s.--"olye
Uncle Sam the greatest land
navy In the world Build him
an invineibie, irresistible fleet
of continental dreadnauphts
that will outoiass all the Brit.
ish tsnksl"
This 10 the echo abruptly
raised among preparedness ad'
Voestes here by the new British
war juosernsutsi
Win VT manufacturing firms
now building farm tractors In
this country. we are In position
to begin turning out at once
more powerful fIotilla. Of land.
going punboa,s than any other
nation could construct
Not only were the American cat
crplllsr tractors tho prototypes OF
British tanks. but an American In.
yentor. a military man OF note. took
part IN the British conferences nj
which the idea OF the tanks were
generated
American inventor Helps
AS A RESULT or fNyESTfGA.
TIoN IN INTERESTED CIRCLES
IN THIS COUNTRY. AM EN-.
ABLED TO TELL FOR THE FIRST
TINE THE INSIDE HISTORY OF
GREAT BRiTAiN'S MYSTERIOUS
SECRET ENGINE or ofFENSE'
over year ago Col. swinton. IA
nous British EYE witness" sent a
little message by this American In.
ventor. who had been Mt the French
front. TO Capt. Tullooh OF tho army
council In London. The burden OF
the message was graaped by Capt.
Tulloch when he exclaimed 20 the
American insenior:
what ". really want. then. Ia n
LAND CRUISER"
The rest OF tho conversation be
tween the two brought the genesis
Of the idea of the tanks Lloyd.
George aud Ms business assistant.
Mai Stcrnc. developed them.
VIII We Heed Wsrnine'
These are the marvellous develop.
ments which come from tho modest
American caterpillar tractors. They
were assembled In the works OF the
Birmingham Small Arms Co. But
II IN known that many OF them were
merely American exported tractors.
armored and equipped with guns Ia
England.
Hitherto every American In
vension--the machine Gun. the
submarine. the seroplsne--has
been seized on by Europe and
developed Into . military arm
Far outclsssina anything We
have had. Are we going 20 lac
far behind In the msster OF
these terrestrial dreadnsuehts.
tool
Are We simply going TO get a
few vague thrills" asked a military
expert today. from tho verbal
rhaprodies into which the tanks
have thrown the war corrcspon.
dents7 or viii America stop her
sentimental thrilling and awaken
10 the hard. constructive fact that
here "a an immediate chance for us
20 beat out the whole world In de
veloplng wars newest and most
dread engine OF offenseg
Great Britain has the biggest
navy on the seas. Let us have the
creates, LAND navy"
That land navy exists. potentially.
ALREADY
There are $4,000 tractors in use
In tho United States. Soon there
will be hundreds OF thousands. We
have today III concerns manufac.
turing tractors. Their total capacity
is nearly 10000 n year. or these
concerns 50 manufacture 1879 differ.
ent models. and among these models
there are is different kinds OF cater.
pillars They range In weight all
the way from 1000 pounds up TO 90.
900 pounds. The Holt s0.horse-
power caterpillar can pull a string
OF ~ i4-inch plows. IL carries 10
gallons of fuel.
Cost 10 Not Large
They've been more useful to us
already than all the Zeppelins have
to Germany" British officers say.
And Will, the zeppelins cost
millions, our oaterpllisrs cost
less than ilnousincs. The sell.
Ing price OF the heaviest 10 only
$3.50. 50. AZ no great espendl-
ture for armament ard extras,
the United States could acquire
q huge fleet Of the tanks.