Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-05-19
Export Business of Americs
Carried Forward by
Motor Cars.
WILLYS' INTERESTING TALK
American Motor Products
Now Supplying Countries
Thruout the World.


address by President John N. Willis OF
Overland company, at Foreign TRADE
convention. Cincinnati, and reprouu'eD
from Motor AEe.J
Probably no, hing in late years mas
done more 10 carry forward tne
American export trade than the mo
tor car which, while possibly con-
sidered a peace industry. is just now
supplying a very important part III
the world war program. NOT oIy
has the industry made giant s,rlaeS
in domestic trade. but the aggressive
methods OF its big men nave Ploh-
eered the American motor car
throughout the world. and IN many
cases supplied countries with the
first Am srican products they nav
ever seen, thus opening the way loV
other American goods. because tne
American motor car has brouSHt
| credit to American industry IN every
quarter OF the globe.
! American motor car makers nave
| introduced American methods ana
| American enterprise. not alone into
selling. but in supplying service IN
cities throughout the world, ana
/ last year. even with embargocs on
practically all the countries IN
| Europe, American trade exceeded
SSS,0OO 900 for 65.792 passenger
cars and l4.347 trucks-the biggest
proportion Of the latter. OF course
| going to the warning nations.
Continuing export by this great
industry will help to maintain rot
alone branches and dealer organiza-
tions In various parts OF the world
but maintain factory organizations
in this country, that must continue
as prime factors in the making oi
war. materials. After the war Eng
land France and Germany VIII be
strong competitors OF the American
motor car ,rade, and II would be un'
fortunate IL anything should happen
TO require the American makers tt
start at scratch again after having
established their present lead.
Maintain Exchange Value. To-
Motor car exports represent no
alone an important contribution tC
the prosperity Of American labor bu
also help 10 maintain the exchange
value of the American dollars. Oul
motor cars are sent to Chile in ex
change for nitrates used for thu
manufacture of explosives and 70
fertilizer; to Argentina for beef
hides and wheat: to Brazil and tn
Straits settlements in exchange 70
rubber and tin--all essential to ou
war program.
Exports OF the motor car industr.
In 1917 almost equalled the com
| bined exports of agricultural ma
chinery, electrical machinery an,
apparatus and all locomotives an,
railroad cars.
Surely no industry IN this countr.
can be considered of any greater i'm
portance than the motor car indus
try. with It's giant capacity for pro
duction. 1t has supplied the moto
transport trucks, officers cars am
balances. tractors for guns, tanks
especially equipped vehicles for tn
airplane ard balloon service, surgeon
generals department, motor ca
kitchens. shoe repair chops, denta
trucks, etc, and In addition it ha!
taken on contracts for the manu-
facture OF many kinds of military
and naval articles. These includ,
airplane engines and pats, su bma
rine chasers. marine bomb ancho IS
| gun recoil checks. artillery wheels
shells for guns and numerous Other
| things foreign to the motor cal
| trade.
. War contracts already undertaken
by the industry aggregate more thar
$500, 100000 Modern motor caI
plants. with their extensive equip
ment OF machine tools and hundreds
OF thousands of expert workers in
special trades, have unequalled IA
ciiities for doing much Of the wal
work required
Liberty Trucks Designed.
Motor car engineers designed the
| Liberty trucks and Liberty airplane
motor oud are in charge of truck
and airplAne production for the gov
ernment Many prominent motor
car men are giving their patriotic
( services to the government
The armies having the best trans
| pont and the best air service will
win. The transport service Is or
ganized on a motor truck basis, OF
Ulcers have increased their efficiency
, many times by the use Of motor cars
dispatch riders are mounted on mo-
torcycles, tanks lead the infantry IN
advances against the enemy, the m
jured are liurrled 10 the hospitals IN
motor ambulances. heavy ordnance
is hauled by motor tractors, and air
planes keep the commanders advised
| OF enemy movements, drop bombs on
their concentrations and depots ana
pour fusilades from machine guns
! into his trenches and advancing
troops.
The first movement of British
forces across the channel was ac-
companied by the motor omniouses
OF London, which carried troops 10
the front ana were then converted
Into vans to supply fresh peer 10
the army raris was saved from
German invasion by rapid move
ment OF an army of 100000 men IN
Paris taHicabs. and Verdun held out
against the foe only by continuous
day and night movement OF mum
tions and supplies in continuous
procession of motor trucks.
War Front Vehicles.
II was calculated last year that
tho armies on all fronts were using
more than 100000 motor vehicles.
After communicating most OF the
motor trucks and many OF the pas
senger cars in Europe. the FTench,
English and Russian governments
turned to the United states TO Supply
the deficiency. During the flrs.
three years Of the war the Uhlteb
States exported 45,30S motor uucNS
10 England, France and Rubsla-
that is, during the three fiscal years
o,df, T.,ra IN 1o1b 1915 And 1911.