Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-12
SPEED UP SLOGAN OF.
LLSUPPL:Y' AGENTS.
Good Roadway Big Factor for
Rapid Movement of Mu-
!. nitions and Supplies.
so SAYS w. 0. RUTHERFORD

eft has been said that the battle line
of Franco is the battle line of America.
By the same token the American hlgh-
ways are all feeders to the battienelos
Of France. saws W. o. Rutherford, sec
ond vice president of the B. r. Hooo-
rich Rubber Company. who has JUST
. been chosen to represent the Mo'or anu
Accessory Manufacturers Association
in the newly organized Highway Indus
tries Association,
I'VE all know that transportation Is
one of the biggest factors in winning
the war" continued Mr.. Ruther1ord
Now let us understand at the outset
that the word transportation Involves
a number of agencies. 1t is not only
freight trains and ships. but it is every
thing that helps to move men and mer-
chandise from one point to another;
thus canals. highways. horses, motor
trucks. passenger cars are all to be
considered as important factors IN
moving the worlds goods.
I'VE talk about the shortage of coal.
There is no shortage of coal Dr.
Garfield says so. There is enough coal
in our mines to last a hundred years.
And so it is with the iron ore, or
with farm products and the whole range
of foodstuffs. Speed up transporta-
tion-on the sea. on the railroads. Oh
the HIGHWAYS and we shall by that
process overcome production shortages,
fuel shortages, and food shortages.
The answer to our most serious current
problem, namely, inability to make sup
ply measure up to demand. IS speeding
up our transportation agencies.
Rail Situation Hint for Roadways.
TT is a trait in human nature to
veer too strongly in one direction
The American public suddenly cries,
Give us more ships. This same
public, after checking the expan-
sion of railroads for two decades,
berates the rail carriers for inefiiciency
when the testing time comes. SO far
as our railroads are concerned. we may
still feel commendable pride IN
what they have achieved and are
achieving. but let us fancy for a mo-
ment that We possessed hundreds of
locomotives and other rolling stock
which could not be used because rail-
road tracks were lacking. We would
get busy and make roadbeds. Yet in
another field of transportation condi-
tion almost parallel to this picture eX-
lists. We have close to half a million
motor trucks in this country, but We
are not getting the most out of them
roadways are in such condition as to ad
init of efficient motor truck operation
1.-The United States government and
our captains of industry recognize the
Importance of motor truck haulage. 1t
has just great functioning power in
carrying commerce 1t has back of
Haig's battle line in France. The gov
erAment is now trucking from the CEN
trail west to the Atlantic seaboard, but
bad roads make the work slow and
doubtful. What is needed is highways
with a foundation strong enough to
carry heavy burdens and built into a
network of national routes.
For Central Control of Roads.
1.-THE local viewpoint in road build
Ing must give way to the national and
some master plan must be evolved for
solving our transportation problem on
American roads. A director of rail-
roads and a director of shipbuilding
are very well and excellent, but why
net director of motor truck transpor-
tation?
SIT this counfrv uyaro IN GUITAR