The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-06-07
auto ROADS IN
NATIONAL DEFENSE
Highways Near Coasts q
Greatest Benefit.
CARRIERS FOR AMMUNITION
Roads to Be Of Military Value Should
Be Constructed Everywhere That 4
Considerable Population, Agricultural.
Manufacturing, Trading or Mining.
Has It's Habitation.,

war. although their Importance was
Infinitely less than now. when the nu
tomobile threatens to drive even thu
world famous army mule into oblivion.
writes Major A. A. Fries. U. S. A.. In
the New York World. 1t is the auto
mobile. with its speed and carrying
power. and the wonderful flexibility
Of an army using 1t that make roads
SO vitalTy important In war today. A
railroad must be provided with side
tracks, turntables and yards, which,
for huge business such as war, must
be very large and take time aud great
quantities of material in building. Not
SO with automobiles. where every foot
OF q highway, unless In deep cut OF
Oil, Is side track where machines
may unload and turn around. Further
more, In dry weather almost any feltl
can be used for unloading and loading;
the machines so as not to congest the
roads at the place where men and ma
terials are needed
The answer to the question where
roads. should be constructed to. be OF
military value is-everywhere that
considerable neutrality-suspicious..
manufacturing. trading or minfng-ex
lists. In any great war we shall have
to marshal all of our resources. just az
the European nations are doing at the
present time. Every product Of our
soil or factories will be called upon for
use, and roads will be required on
which to carry them to the places
where needed. Fine roads along. our
coasts and land boundaries will be Of
the most immediate benefit and should
be Of the best and widest si.is.e they
will have to bear the heaviest and
most concentrated traffic There are Il
number OF roads proposed or actually
under construction that come under
this head Such are the Pacific high
way. along or near the Pacific coast
from Seattle to San Diego: the Yellow
stone trail. along the. northern boun,:
airy from the vicinity of the great lakes
to the Columbia river. and the Lincoli,
highway across the north central part
OF the United States
While highways intended primarily
for military purposes should be located
near. our boundaries, they must not be
SO near that they can be easily raidetl
or captured by small bodies OF the Ell.
emy and thus likely to be of use only
to him aud not to us. All roads farther
inland and parallel to the border roads
viii be of very great value as feeders
to those nearer the borders. Along
these interior roads men and supplies
may. be moved long distances without
fear CT interruption or observation by
the enemy and thus contribute greatly
to the element of surprise SO essential
to victory in nearly all cases. There
must be crossroads ut reasonably close
intervals to enable the traffic on interior
lines to leave them and cross to those
places near the border where needed.
During mobilization and the early
stages Of the war there will be man,
and rapid movements OF large h0dies
Of troops. Here roads and automobiles
will be deciding factors. for. as every
body knows from the progress OF tht
war IN Europe. the one who gets the
start has an enormous advantage tha
| will cost the other side many times thu
original loss to overcome Later In thu
beginning of Il campaign. when move
'merts are rapid and there Is little op
pvrtunity to intrench. three inch gun.
and shripnef will be very largely used
but just as sooa as there is time to In
trench there will be an opportunity 70
the larger guns to come Up to fire higl
explosive shells to drive the enemy on
of his intrenchcd positions. This ma!
be called the second or trench warfar,
stage Of tue campaign, when hundred
OF thousands Of rounds OF high explo
siye shells vii! be required for ever.
twenty-five miles of battle front. Ii
all these operations the number OF au
tomobilcs required will be tremendous
but with. the vast number In genera
use and being manufactured every da
it Is inconceivable that there ever wi
be a shortage after the first confusion
is over.