Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-23
IMPORTANCE OF ROADS
Major Dupont Says France Was
Saved by Highway System.


Saved by Highway System.
Charlotte Observer, Saturday.
Major Edouard Dupont. OF the
French military mission to the United
States. formerly stationed at Camp
Greene, who has returned here for .
short visit, briefly addressed the di-
rectors Of the Bankhead Highway as'
sociation here yesterday on the roads
of France, the types and methods oil
maintenance and their proved mill.
tary value In the world war. These
roads saved France. he told them, be.
cause the first Marine and Verdun bat
ties were won by troops rushed there
in motor trucks and taxi cabs to aid
the armies fighting in that terrible
struggle. Major Dupont was accorded
q splendid reception when he arose
to speak.
France has three systems OF roads
he explained. One is the government
road system. fine highways 20 meters
(about % yards) in width. and care
fully maintained, with rows Of trees
on each side. Another Is the depart
mental road system, maintained by
the unit Of France which corresponds
to our state. These roads are, AboA'
II meters (about Is yards) in width
and are numerous, he said. The third
system Is the communal, or county
roads, which are narrower but gen.
orally in good condition and very nu-
merous. Thus were the roads in his
native land before the war. but, since
the war has been in progress fouI
years, "the roads Of France are not In
as good condition because Of lack OF
labor" he explained. Some Of the
principal highways of France origin
ally were built by Louis XVI. he said
and most of them are macadamized
Bitulithic Is rare there. he said. ex-
cept in the larger cities.
The public roads are maintained by
patrols, he explained, and said this
plan was somewhat like that em-
ployed by the railroads with their
section camps.
Major Dupont related how General
Gallini was enabled to bring about
the defeat of the Germans at the first
battle OF the Marne by sending two
divisions during the night of Sunday
September 6, 1914, from Paris to the
Marnc, thus surprising the Germans
who thought such strength could moi
be mobilized 80 quickly. He said from
5000 to 1000 taxi cabs were utilized
to transport these two divisions a dis
tancc OF about % miles to the valley
of the Ourcq river near where it flows
into the river Marne,
The greatest use Of the roads fol-
military emergency purposes came at
the beginning Of the first battle oil
verdun, when the armies Of the Ger
mans loosed thousands Of troops and
terrific storm Of shells upon that
bulwark OF France, Served by only
one railroad, this fortress was in dan
ger OF falling because Of inability to
send troops and supplies there as the
Germans had the railway under shell
fire.
The motor truck was used to savs
the fortress and for Is censecuttv:
days an upending line of trucks wend-
ed their way day and night from Paris
10 Verdun and return. The Germans
fought and fell back and cried. "On to
Verdun, on to Paris" and the French
held. These heavy trucks ruined In q
few days these fine roads, while heavy
rains fell almost continually. 1t be-
came necessary for the army COM
mander to post a soldier unable to
serve at the front about every q
yards along these roads. For IL long
hard days and nights these men shov.
eled stones and dirt into mudholes
and they were caked from head te
foot with mud, but they shoveled
stones with the monotony Of machines
though their arms were numb and
their hacks breaking" said Major Du'
pont. His audience applauded loudly
and the major said. ''they were mo-
able to go to the front, but they die
their bit, for they helped save France
Major Dupont said he hoped Ameri
ca should never have to repel o Ger
man invasion from her soil. but, Il
We do not win this war over there j
must be won over here" he reminded
his hearers. Then II may be tina
America viii need roads, and many o
them. such as that you gentlemen ar
promoting"
But, the Germans are going home
and we must hurry them by increases
efforts on our part" he exclaimed
amid applause. as he returned to hi
chair.