Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-07-21
AUTOMOBILE PATROL FOR DEFENSE
0E lNIIED STATES IS.ADIOCAIED

bFeakages because, while the cars
were designed for bad roads, they
could not Withstand the strain of 60
ing where there were no roads, and
this was often necessary. Uncle Sam
has number Of these cars on hand,
but officers Of the ordnance bureau
say they will purchase no more.
The second type was a genuine ar
mored car, but not adapted. 1t is d
high-powered motor, of make known
for strength and sturd;nes1, but not
remarkable for great speed or a quick
pickup" Armor plating of q suf-
ficient thickness to stop rifle bullets
at any range formed the body and ran
up to a height If 10 fest, where It
was fashioned into 4 turret much
like the manhole Of a submarine.
The sides were pierced for machine
guns and small rams and the turret
was fitted with gun rest. There
was room in the turret for two men
and gun. All told, this car would
hold six men and three guns.
Objections to IT were it's great
weight and height. II Is TOD con-
spicuous and fts ceater Of gravity
is too high for meneiveriag in broken
ground with safety While the engine
performed admirably and the car
stood up better than the small, light,
mosquito" cars, its defects were too
pronounced to secure serious consid-
Grafton.
A third type, which eavs the most
satisfaction, was an open car about
the size and shape of a seven-pas-
senger touring car without the top.
The body was Of embarrassing steel
and was divided into Compartments
for the guns when not in use, for gas
oline, for water and for tools and sup
plies. This type If car was vs;u-
able, as it could be used f1r the trans
portation Of machine guns with their
crews to strategic points, end it Is
also a fighting unit, as there are
gun mountings built into It.
This type Of car represents an ex-
penditure Of about $4,000. 1t has
speed Of so miles an kour aL2 carries
eight men, four machine guns with
ammunition, spare parts, tools and an
emergency supply Of gasoline and
plenty of water. 1t is equipped with
pneumatic tires.
Twenty-Five hundred Of these cars,
manned by $4,000 men, would do more
toward making or shores safe from
invasion than half a million infantry.
The first requisite for their ef.
fective use is a motor highway run
ming parallel to the borders of the
United States in n gigantic "C" from
Portland to Portland. A highway on
the fourth side, the top of Ih2 ~"
along the Canadian border, while not
a defensive necessity, would prove of
great value. A considerable share Of
the Atlantic and Pacific seaboard is
now paralleled by excellent reads.
These stretches could be linked up
at a reasonable expense. The same
is true OF the Mexican border.
On the seacoast the patrols would
be in communication with marina OBJ
servation stations aud with subma-
rine patrols. AS our principal dan
ger is from enemy submarines, which
might load aeroplanes and explosives
in some isolated cove for Drief raids
on populous cities, 1t is necessary that
no part of the coast be sighted.
Four cars to each 25-mile block
means a total of 1880 cars. Another
thousand could be kept in reserve 10
carry troops from central points
g. ~ ~ 4