Evening star., 1917-10-21

covered with mud ard clay came lum-
bering into Washington for Army use
One had come from Lima. Ohio. and the
other from Rochester, y. Y. Although
there was nothing particularly notice
able about either OF them, they repre-
sented a yolution in production that
will give the Army all the motor trucks
it can possibly use when they are
needed. In the next few months. these
standardized trucks will come into the
Quartermaster Corps at the rate of 5000
a month or much faster as the divi-
sion of transportation asks for them.
1t is quite well known how the auto
truck trade gave up all its plans and
engineering secrets to the production of
this standard truck which mas com
pieted its tests so successfully. but how
it is to be produced in such quantities
has not been told.
Brig. Gen Baker, the chief of the
auartermaster division of transportation,
called upon Christian Girl OF a large
Cleveland company TO act as its adviser
to secure the production of the truck.
Acting with him the division secured
the cooperation of the makers of auto
mobile parts, some sixty concerns in all,
each to make some of the standardized
parts, and they have arranged to make
great as can be desired. all Of size and
design ready to put together
More than hundred concerns that
are used to completing cars have agreed
to assemble these parts, each doing Its
share for the Army until they pour
them out from all sections of the coun-
try in numbers that will match the out
put of the short-named firm from De-
troit
Without this scheme for cooperation
I wOuld innpSSib1a tn ia oh
cars of one or even a dozen designs to
supply the motor trucks for the Army
y Sc @ sS
Greater Ease of Repair.
Brig. Gen. Chauncey B. Baker. chief of
the division Of Army transportation gave
another reason than facility of produc-
ton why the use of standardized motors
Is SO much better than using many
kinds. and it is found in the greater ease
with which they are repaired and the
economy in the number of parts that
must be kept in stock in repair shops
along the line of communications The
three sizes of the new trucks will con-
tain not more than $4,000 parts, while 1t
is necessary to keep III stock in France
100000 kinds of parts to meet the daily
demands of the non-standardized motor
trucks. 1t takes building as large as
the Munsey building to hold the clerks
who are keeping track of the stray parts
In event of an accident to several
standard cars, with interchangeable
parts. the mechanicians will pick out
enough good parts to make one good
car. and that cannot be done with the
old way of using trucks of different
makes.
s Ss Ne sg
Building Destroyers.
Apropos of these fabricated motor
trucks, there is an interesting story ex-
planning how the Navy expects to hustle
along its new $3.50 600, 600 lot OF destroyers
1t ordinarily takes from year and a
half to two years to build a destroyer or
two or three of them in the best yards
along the coast. and only FIVE of the
yards are expected to participate in pro-
ducng the whole fotilla. The Navy De-
partment prefers that no guesses should
be made as to the number; but that sum
Of money ought to pay for quite a bunch
Of them.
The explanation is simple. The yards,
the steel mills. the drop-forge concerns.
| board are going to cooperate. 1t has be-
| come quite American fashion The
| board will arrange who shall furnish the
| materials. and In what order: the steel
| mills Will turn out plates. beams and
| shapes made to standard patterns: the
| foundrymen will make all the shafting
| the bedplates and forgings, to standard
| patterns; the boilermakers will turn out
] boilers all alike for every Of the
whole hotilla. and all that will be left
for the shipyards to do will be to put
the pieces together.
| The war may be over before these
| sweet ships get into action. but If it is.
| the kaiser will have to hurry up with his
! peace projects or his subjects will have
| to get behind him and push There would
| have been plenty of time for them II the
destroyers were to be built in the old
way.