Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-03-09
FLYING SQUADRON
OF AUTOS URGED
Fifty Thousand Cars Neces
sary to Guard United
States Coast.

Tint at least fifty thousand motor
cars. composing "A flying squadron.
would be necessary TO guard the coast
Of the United states Is the opinion
Of Eugene VI. Travis. controller of the
9t1tc or New York, in speaking on the
subject OF coast defense few days
ago.
''Iho use OF motor cars I'm the Eu-
ropcan war and in the McNican cam
paipn has taught many useful lessons
and suggested interesting ideas. The
possibility of defeating sudden raid
of the enemy along approximately
ten thousand miles of the coast OF the
United states depends very largely
not only on the number Of men who
could bc concentrated at a given
point, but also upon the rapid!ty or
tins concentration. The truth of this
statement must be obvious when it is
considered that If a hostile force
landed on our shores few hours
after a declaration of war. after
march of a few miles inland, it could
construct sufficiently effective
trenches to render itself safe against
sudden attacks and infantry fire.
Srcatlv Increasing the difficulty Of
defeating it,
Would Impede Landing.
again. wore the enemy able tu ad-
vance further inland, Selling ON its
way some cities or villages where sup
| plies could be obtained, IL might hc
| very difficult indeed to eject the raid
ers, il in large numbers, or arrest
their progress without an oycrwhclm-
| ing superior force. But if, on the
other hand, a hostile fleet with it's
transports were signalcd to he present
| off possible landing place a rapid
| concentration Of even few thousand
| Infantry and few batteries could
! take place ana not only would such
! "a landing ho very much more difficult
and prolonged, but it might be pre-
vented altogether.
"Now to get troops rapidly TO the
| coast either railways or motor cars
must obviously be used. and whereas
/ It is undcniahlc that for very long
/ distances the railways might be as
rapid a means of conveyance. never
/ thclcss motor cars could transport
troops more quickly to any str1tcgical
/ point on the coast than would be pos
sihlc with the best ARRANGEMENTS ca
p1llc of being made 10y tho railways.
1T Is clear. therefore, that the util-
zation of motor transports for mobil-
iTation is a matter which should be
given more attention in this country.
| Formerly they We're used largely FOR
staff purposes. but during the present
II European struggle their efficiency has
been suddenly demonstrated TO war
rant immediate adoption here as the
fir.t step in the national preparedness
campoigu.
Many Cars Available.
a prompt organization, however,
of individual motors i'm this country.
numbering as they do at present over
thrco million and five hundred thou
sand owners, would probably be best
I enlisted thru the agency Of the clubs.
especially now whon the feeling Of
patriotism and of the need of prcpa-
ration for national defense every
where runs high. As to the possibil-
iiy Of collecting n large number of
cars for immediate use on Long
Island and along the New jersey
coast. there are at present In New
York CITY and Its immediate vicinity
nearly five hundred thousand regis
\ tered machines. onc-third Of which
are owned by New No.kgrs Nearly
all Of these cars are capable of being
used Cor porting armed forces,
So that it might bc said that # 10 per
cent of these Wor2 suddenly enlisted
and so organized as TO be of use with
ir few hours. in case Of being called
ont at a time Of national emergency,
! it would not hc a very heavy tax upon
the automobile public to provide.
Could Move Troops swiftly.
"Ucrc arises another point with re-
card to mobilization by motor cars
vi ich should not be forgotten The
vars having CouVeycdt troops to
the required vicinity. they could re-
main at some convenient place to
await further developments. II the
first information proved to be inaccu-
rate and tha enemy attempted to land
elsewhere the troops could be moved
with speed equal to that with which
the enemy was being conveyed In his
transports along the coast. In this
connection especially has tho opera
ton q motor cars upon the battlefield
been cgirly tested, for until the pres
oHt conflict there had been no mill
tary campaigns IA which good roads
have been available since the motor
car has become a practical and trust
worthy vehicle.
Military experts evidently have
considered the effects that the power
Of moving troops rapidly along the
roads has produced upon their early
fortunes " war. with tn. front lines
cery extended. this control has been
difficult, even with the aid Of the wire-