The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-24
WAR THREATENS
AUTO SHORTAGE,
MAKERS believe
Manufacturers Warn Deal
ers of Situation AS They
Have It Appraised.

ers of Situation AS They
Have It Appraised.
Already automobile manufacturers
are beginning to canvass the erect
the participation of the United states
in the World War will have on sup
nlv and demand in respect to motor
driven vehicles. AS early as April Z,
the day after the House Of Represen~
tatiyes affirmed the Senate's adoption
of the resolution declaring that
state of war exists between the United
States and Germany, w. e. Stalnaker
! of INDIANAPOLIS, addressed several
hundred agencies throughout the
United States, to ascertain what pear
ing, in their opinion, the war would
/ have on these Immediate agencies. or
, the situation and outlook Mr.. Stall
maker says:"After having thoroughly
DIAGNOSED the situation to the best OF
our ability, we have arrived at the
conclusion that there is to be great
shortage Of automobiles-we might
add, a great shortage OF motor driven
vehicles. Our reasons for making
this statement are as follows: some
hicles will have their output curbed,
! if not taken up altogether on account
of their manufacturing other articles
necessary to our government for war
purposes, and furthermore, our gov
eminent is going to be a very large
! consumer Of practically all kinds Of
motor driven vehicles. This will mean
! a new customer for the manufacturer
! of these lines" Quoting further from
Mr.. Stalnaker; '"This country has
never been in such a prosperous con-
dition as it is at this time, before en-
| tering war; There is more money In
circulation than ever before. All pro-
| ducers are getting high prices and on
| top Of our present condition our gov
eminent is going to turn loose mil
! lions and hundreds of millions Of dol
| lars, all Of which will get into circu-
| lation in the United States; and this
| is certainly bound to put the coun-
! try in most f1ourishing financial
condition, and we should all look for
higher prices on everything Mr.. Stall
maker further points out that the gov
ernment's call for one million or even
two million volunteers will not ma
terially deplete the commercial ranks
Of the country. He states that there
are approximately five and a half
millions Of men between the ages of
twenty and twenty-five in the United
! States, and they are by no means even
a large minority Of the proportion Of
our population of a hundred and ten
million now engaged directly or in
directly in commercial pursuits. The
views Of Mr.. Stalnaker are Of particu-
lar interest at this time because of
/ his intimate association not only with
one of the greatest American indus
tries, but as well for his standing in
that industry as the commercial
spokesman Of one of it's greatest indi-
vidual manufactures.
| The automobile world as whole,
is understood, regards the war as a
decided stimulus to production and
demand In its line, and manufacture
ers and dealers expect their plants
and resources will be taxed to the ut
most as result of this governments
! participation.
| w. E. Sta1naker, Vice-president
and director Of sales of the Pathfind-
er Company. today rendered his SER
vices to Harry B. Smith, adjutant-
general, in recruiting an aero squad
ron of 1873 officers and men. 81 am
already in touch with some high quail
ity men throughout a number of
states,'' wrote Mr.. Stalnaker, most
Of whom are members of the Society
of Automobile Engineers, or the Am
erican Automobile Association, or
both, and will make the very best
material for an organization Of this
kind I am ready to commence re-
cruiting Immediately on notification
Of your acceptance"
General Smith in his reply thanked
Mr.. Stalnaker for the offer and said
'.At the present time we have no au-
thority to organize an aero company,
partment and we hope to be advised
will communicate with you just as
soon as any any definite information
| is received.
! Mr.. Stalnaker is already gathering
data regarding aeroplanes and quotes
the following from a speech recently
made by one of our prominent pub
lie officials England has more Off
GERS and men in it's aeronautic SER
vice alone than the Unitd States has
in its army. France has more men
in it's aeronautic service than we have
in our navy. Canada has spent eigh-
ty million dollars for aeronautics. The
United States has thirty-seven ma
chimes in its navy and seventy three
machines in the army and not an
aerop1ane equipped with gum"
These conditions will be changed as
rapidly as possible as the next couple
of years will certainly see us abreast
of the times"