Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-10-19
TIRES AND GASOLINE
LUxURTEs IN Europe

-.
Is denied this luxury. Along with
Won Hindcnburg. Ludendorff, Won
Mackensen and the other diadems In
the German crown. the crown Prince
bumps along TO the front on tires
filled with rags. compressed cork and
paper. These observations form but
n small part OF the anthology OF facts
gathered by victor Van der Lind0.
special technical representative OF
the b. F. Goodrich Rubber Co. OF
Akron. Ohio. who just returned from
Europe after a long study OF tire
conditions abroad. In some coun-
tries tires are not TO be had az all.
except at a fabulous price and only
after a dozen or two high govern
ment officials have had one on the
witness stand for weeks. literally
speaking: gasoline IL worth more
than champagne and Is obtainable
only with government consent. and I
nine-tenths OF the automobiles are
not running.
German scientists have tried 70
Improvise for the scarcity OF rubber
by combounding what they call Gym
thetic rubber. but in this they have
been unsuccessful There Is not an
ounce of crude rubber in II At all.
and therefore IL Is devoid of fiber.
Then again il has cost about fifteen
times more q pound than the veg
etable.
The situation OF both Germany
and Austria. as concerns tires, 10
truly deplorAble. Countries bound
Ting the Central empires, with the ex-
ception OF those that are Mt war with
them are in Just as bad plight.
Really. the only ear running with
Inner tubes in Germany today Ia the
Kaiser's Most castings are stuffed
with compressed champagne corks.
PAPER. rags. and sausages made OF
ground cork.
Soma have even been filled with
sand and dirt. This only refers to
those cars that have ragged castings
left. Most automobiles have ground
away their shoes and move about on
rims bound with rope. was for
tunate to find n taxlcab In Berlin--a
taxicab is rare there now-and ex-
perienced the sensation OF riding in
Ia machine having nothing but rope
bound wheels. II was Just like rid
ing on a wagon. Every time the car
struck a cavity in the road. you were
iolted clear through.
There isn't bicycle tire left in
4 Germany outside OF those on military
j bicycles. Raids by the wholesals
were conducted on shops and resi-.
! dences and ell bicycle tires sliced
These have been reduced TO permit
i their remaking 80 automobile tires
In fact. everything In rubber hal
been reclaimed for tire construction
and submarine battery cells.
! "The cargo of the Deutschland OF
its last trip. was almost exclusively
rubber. but 30 pressing was the do
mand for the use OF tho rubber II
dirigibles that none OF II. with tn
possible exception OF enough for tn
building of tires for the royal family
Il was allowed to 60 into tires.
4 Germany had little crude rubbc
8 IN stock at the outbreak of the Wal
Since then she has been dependin
on what che could smuggle throng
the malls and what she could bu
from Sweden. Single sheets of rut
Der were sent in letters from Oh
United states until Great Britain OF
ened these and confiscated the cor
tents. After this channel had bee
closed she purchased large number
OF automobiles IN this country an
had them shipped 20 Sweden. Thef
she stripped the automobiles Of a
tires and abandoned brand new mi
chimes to the swedes. But no
Great Britain permits no cars shit
ped to Sweden with tire equipment
The following fa the prevaiiin
"a price of tires in the following coul
tries.
Germany-none TO be had. Austr
none 10 be had. sweden--s5t
for a tire IL you have . permit fro
the Royal Automobile Club. Eorw'
-s4s0 with permit Denmark
$500 for a tire ~ you can find Of
and give written assurance to q
government that IL will not 20
Germany. HolIand-S3G0 for Il
With government guarantees. Russ
800 for one tire Great Britain
$50 for one tire France-sS0
. one tire. Italy-s1oo for one III
spain-sf25 for one tire.
I'm Sweden there are 10000 g
. tomobiies. There are 900 in op'
- alton and on tires from which
disappeared ali semblance Of the I