Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-24
GUN CAR
CONQUERS DESERT
Studebaker Car Makes % Miles
an Hour in Test Over Worst
Roads in Texas

On the international boundary line
that marks the division between this
country and Mexico. where the United
National Guard in the intricacies of
modern warfare. the motor vehicle is
playing most important role. Hun
dreds of cars of various makes and
description-driven by khaki-clad citi-
zens-soldiers-may be seen in the
vicinity of the various military camps
in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and
lower California.
The cars are being tried and tested
under every conceivable condition
with a view of determining which of
the many are more fitted to meet the
needs and requirements of the gov
ernment. An average speed of 20
miles an hour was maintained by the
new Studebaker machine gun cars in
their initial drive few days ago over
the 250 miles of country between El
Paso and Deming, n. NJ, the first of
a series of tests that will surely revo-
lutionize this branch of the service.
The first lap of the trip from Ell
Paso to Mesilla Park, n. NJ, was over
fairly good roads--but from that point
to Deming, 20 miles of desert sea
was encountered. Despite this handi-
cap and the fact that upward slope
places Deming 5000 feet above sea
level, the heavy motors piowed stead
lily on over the ruts and cactus to the
summit of Magpie Flats, now in deep
arroyos with sand half way to wheel
hubs and again on the wind-swept
submits on to Deming. The rigors OF
a mountain snowstorm raging
throughout most of the day had little
or no effect upon either men or cars
Each car contained two machine
guns and their equipment, 10000
rounds of ammunition, tools, water
gas and oil. field rations and seven
passengers beside the driver, a total
weight of two and one-half tons. The
seats are so arranged that they afford
the greatest protection to the crew
/ and driver.
These Studebaker machine gun cars
are ready for immediate service and
could be called into action-operated
! by trained skillful soldiers-without
a moments delay. They are called
upon to bear the brunt of the work OF
! transporting the tentage and equip
ment, hauling supplies from the base
to the scene of operations, and nu-
merous other duties coincident with
| the movement of troops. They are
! operated over treacherous untrieo
roads, through the deep sands and
thorny underground that is to be founC
only in the Southwestern States-yet
they stand up and do the work more
easily and faster than could possibly
be accomplished in any other way.
The gratifying results of these rigiC
tests would indicate that solution Of
the VeXing Mexican problem had a
last been found. A force of 1880 Of
these Studebaker machine gun cars
stretching along the border from the
Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico, at one
mile intervals, would form an i'm
pregnable ring of stel around oul
southern boundary. Travelling at
speed of 25 miles an hour, as demon
lstarted- in the tests. so cars could bt
summoned by a radio call and mobi
lized at any point of attempted in
vasion within one hours time. Allow
ing an entire squad of eight men t.
each car, without destroying the tao
tical units of the army this most eff
fective border patrol would require
but $4,000 soldiers for active service
and there would be no repetition o
the distressing Columbus incident.