The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-16
TANK Of PEACE
TO SAVE WORLD
Caterpillar Tractor to Take
Active Part in War Waged
BY Farmer Against Menace
OF Starvation and Want.

The tank" Is coming back to its
own. Once an American farming i'm.
plement, today 1t numbers over the
battleficlds of France, leveling trees,
buildings. trenches. entanglements--
whatever is in its patlr--while 1t
sprays death.
The tank" Is to play another lead
ing role in the human drama. It's to
take a place in the front ranks of
peace this time, again as an American
agricultural implement. The scenes
are being shifted by American genius
that of Cleveland man.
And the tank" has changed its
makeup with the shift Of scenes. But
basic principles of construction re-
mains to identify it Enthusiastically as
the old American caterpillar trac-
tor. which became the terror OF the
battlefields. Instead of the huge
numbering affair 1t has been. the tank
of peace" is a compact tube of steel
mechanism. about So inches each way
It's might remains. and just as II
served England in an hour of need for
Americas need Of the hour--increase d
food production.
Briefly, the new tank" is the first
practical adaptation of the caterpillar
principle to the needs Of the average
farmer.
Its inventor is Rollin II. White Of
Cleveland, millionaire automobile en-
ginecr. formerly an official Of the
White company. And any doubt that
the tractopis meeting a need Of the
hour will be dispellcd by a visit to the
factory Of the Cleveland Tractor com
pany. where the tractors are being
manufactured
The so-called caterpillar tractors
had been in use in the west for sew
eral years. Their success was due to
broad track or belt of steel sections
which ran over the two outside wheels
of the tractor. In effect the machine
was locomotive that laid it's own
track and picked it up behind. The
broad track gave it a powerful grir
on the earth. and 1t proved its ability
to go where other tractors stalled
and to pull enormous loads But the
caterpillar tractor was too large and
unwieldy for the average farm, and
far too expensive for the farmers
pocketbook. Mr.. White set abou,
building a caterpillar tractor for the
average farmer.
The process of development has beer
one of elimination and simplification
The result is the compact mechanism
only So inches long and of about the
same height and width. The propell.
ing force is a four-cylinder gasoline
engine of special design. The engine
rests on a steel frame which is carried
close to the ground on the "caterpil.
lars" The wheels. which carry tn.
steel track. have degenerated to cogs
The engine drives directly to differ.
entail gear similar to that used or
automobiles. There is only one speed
forward and one reverse. doing away
with complications. From the differ.
entail the drive is to two small cogs
which are in mesh with the inside OF
the track.
An ordinary automobile steering
wheel Is provided, but steering Is &c.
complished in a novel manner. When
the steering wheel is turned to thu
right. n brake band, on the right.
hand driving cog is frightened. This
slows down or stops the cog depend
ing on how far the wheel Is turned
and halts the action of the right hand
Caterpillar" Through the differentia
gear. the left-hand track continues to
move. The right-hand track forms a