Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-04
V|ABLE HIGHWAYS
NECESSARY QUICKLY
FOR WAR EFFICIENCY
Importance of Immediate Action
Pointed Out by Col. James
w. Howard.
SOLVE DEFENCE PROBLEM

C. T.. of New York consulting ant
testing engineer on roads and pavements
who is recognized authority. points out
IN an article in the March issue of Mu
nicpal Engineering, the immediate neccs
Sity for viable roads in order to promote
war efficiency. The article is rs follows
A viable road means one which is in
condition properly to fulfill its function
of providing safe and rapid transit oil
vehicles. A constantly viable road is a
road, including culvcrts and bridges
which is efficient for traffic at all times
Europe for many years, and now our
country, has realized that one of the
Greatest factors necessary for prepara-
is constantly viable roads, necessary for
many purposes, among them:
USES OF MILITARY ROADS.
{a) To furnish through routes for auto
trucks to deliver themselves from where
manufactured TO the point needed for
Use or for export.
(b) To enable auto trucks To carry
large loads Of machinery, ordnance, mu-
nitions, vast supplies for military and
civil purposes, directly from where first
loaded to where their loads are 70 he
used or exported; and to do so quicker
and cheaper. up tn at least 800 miles.
than to truck supplies to = local railroad
station, reload on the railroad, 60 by rail
road to another location and there reload
on trucks and deliver the supplies to the
exact location needed for use or export
(cl Viablc through routes for auto
trucks relieve not only railroad transit
congestion, but especially the great and
increasing congestion at railroad termini.
Id To eliminate terminus railroad
freight congestion at large cities by hav-
ing good local roads around and radlating
from large cities and export points to
surrounding small towns. which enables
the railroad freight stations Of many
small towns TO be used 10 handle freight
thus kept away from centralized large
,itv congestion; because those roads
enable auto trucks To have many places
10 receive freight and deliver il directly
10 the exact locations needed in and near
large cities or on the exact export dock
The local inadequate large freight sta
lions in the large cities are thus relieved
from congestion i'll Europe. and must be so
relieved in America. Otherwise. disaster
will follow the choking and delay now
prevalent and increasing in many OF our
large cities The congeSted termini of
our largest cities. holding back cars loaded
and idle on miles of side tracks outside
the cities, Is one of the reasons why coal,
Tor example. so necessary for our produc-
tive efficiency. can not be delivered to the
consumer, and why ships can not be
built faster, because waiting for ma
terials.
SlowneSs OF transit and congestion Of the
necessary supplies has lost many wars.
Niable routes. furnishing sure transit
and prompt delivery, have won wars and
are a tremendous necessity for US now
Experience of past wars has established
the military dictum that the war prepara-
ton and continued supply OF soldiers,
materials and adiuncts have three factors:
First and most important in quality
and quantity; second, speed OF prepara-
tion and delivery; third and last 10 be
considered Is cost-ior the war must be
won, cost what II may.
NEED ron IMMEDIATE ACTION
Viable roads are military necessity
and vital adjunct They must be of
good quality, quickly supplied and main
tanned at whatever necessary cost. This
can best be done by using existing good
roads, linking them up with old roads TO
he quickly repaired and resurfaced: also
where absolutely necessary. some old
titAA anu NEzAh IOtAlo 1uii~N Bt FltAA'Jh
rebuilt The national, State and county
officials should now quickly select the
roads in many parts of most States neces-
~srv for war and pressing domestic sup
plies; inspect them: decide which must be
repaired. resuTfaced or entirely rebuilt.
10 carry heavy auto truck unit loads and
many of them. Then work on these roads
in many parts OF most States must be
quickly started and rapidly continued,
{ Y fixed bid price or percentage contracts,
Iorcc account or day labor, including use
of prisoners properly paid where pos
~ible.
TOCR GENERAL GRoDPs or MILITARY ROADS
The roads needed for war productive
ness and deliveries and for sustaining
the people during the war, can be divided
into TOUR general groups, Vlz
Fnst-ROads which are In good con-
dition and will bear the heavy loads and
resist the wear of traffic and weather, SUI
iclently to he kept with attention in
constant viability
Second-Roads which have firm founda-
lons. but have their wearing surface
ayers so much out of repair ia spots as
10 impede traffic and injurc automobiles
such roads can usually be qui' l-a~f speed
ftiii& L1Oot Aili oi J<@lt( anu az ~ = put III
viable condition by repairing the spots
with the same kinds Of materials As now
compose those roads
Third-Roads which have firm founda-
ions. but are IN bad disrepair, and need
new resuTfacing over large sections or the
whole road, and which can be quickest
snd economically considering reduction
9f subsequent maintenance made viable
.y resur(acing them To do this il Is
heapest and quickest where possible
10 use local materials. such as crushed
tone, crus he'd hard Stag. gravel, sand
and some times ground mireral filler,
mixed hot in various proportions 10 be
- dense a. possible, together with suit
able bitumens, such a asphalt ccments
spread ne mixture and consolidate it
WITH heavy steam or gasoline rollers to
finished de pth Of at least 2 inches Al ali
T..