Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-04-14
FAVOR POOLING
MOTOR TRANSPORT
1,,ncL Makers Seek Information as
20 Number OF Irucbs "'o
Government WIN order

- che truck makers. unable 10
t Jus: What demands will be
Lnade upon them, are unable TO
place their contracts for materials
to know what organizations they
will need or to what extent their
normal business will he arec'en'
There have been several indirect
complaints to high officials anu
there may be some important ae-
ton within the next few days inc
reports that the contracts for \ unu
/ "A standardized trucks are heIu w
/ because the government mas
ordered nre not correct lhe o,S
reason behind the delay lies IN the
Uncertainty OF control OF 'hese
| trucks.
For several weeks the geherhl
! staff OF the l.. y, army has beeh !"
| favor OF pooled motor-transport az
| tivities similar to the planl useu Wy
| General Pershing, and desorioeu ln
these columns recently through an
| interview with Major Barrett An
drews However, the general starr
| has been unable TO decide how IL
FOR one hour recently general
staff order placed all truck workers
under Colonel Moody in the ora
nance Corps This action was
nuIcklv reversed for reasons not
made public and the normal status
resumed.
Motor Transport Under One Heal
Now II appears as II all motor
transport operations VIII come
either under the Quartermastcr ne
tpartment or Will be taken from each
of the various army corps ana
placed under a new department OPP
Grating directly under the Renerai
staff. ms with the medical corps
engineering corps, etc. rms last
plan is gaining considerable favor
as tits one method that Will abolish
the existing Departmental Jealousy
and further. because the moBr
transport work is sufficiently i'm
portant to entitse Il to complete sep
arate attention. In connection with
Snew department OF this sort Chris
tlan Girrs name is mentioned as the
possible head.
AT any rate there must soon he
some action taken. for any further
delay ls going to create an unpleas-
ant situation when tho government
places It's orders and finds the truck
makers In no position 10 handle
them. Fir example, the ordnance
department is now considering the
placing OF contracts for 10000 +. W.
y. and 10000 Nash trucks. and
truck makers who would prefer to
handle the A and "A work are puz-
zlel and do not know whether or
not 10 bid on the ordnance Jobs.
Airplane Situation Unchanged.
The airpiane situation remains
about the same. with marN rumors
current. One Is ito the effect that
the Snowden Marshall committee's
report is very favorable. Another
states that the aircraft operations
are TO be taken from the signal
corps and placed under a new sep
arate division under the general
staff. much like the plan for the
standardized trucks. Resolutions
are sfSB to. he drafted and ready TO
he placed before congress by aero
nautical organizations calling for
centralized authority over al air
plane matters At present, Howard
e. CoffiW acts only in an advisory
capacity. His Recommendation go
TO the signal corps and may be car
RED out or killed according to the
view taken there. Again. there are
the various differences OF opinion
between the complete aircraft board
the navy and the army. with no ac-
tuAl centralized authority anywhere.
The fuel committee of the nation
al automobile chamber OF COM
4 mEr(n hAa1aA A.r L..
70 nave another meeting with the
fuel administration soon 10 decide
upon the fuel allowance and fur
ther curtailment OF the industry for
iSis-l9ls. This meeting was To be
held early In April. but II was wisely
postponed until some time in MAY
because OF the present heavy Car.
man offensive, which II was thought
might influence a heavier curtail.
msht " the meeting were held now
| summing up Washington Automo-
i've conditions, II can be stated that
.he activities at present are less
thah during the fallIof 1917. There
are many fewer meh OF the indus.
,rles mere now, and those who are
hete nave found things more or less
smghant. The indications, however.
punt 10 an Increase OF important
venu WIN the placing Of new con-
tracts. The Capitalization OF motor
transport operations, and the settl-
,mg OF the present airplane situation.
IRE present quiet atmosphere Is dis
paved ny The long absence OF n. l.
IoIhunR OF the RutomotIve products
sec'ioh' war Industries board. who
mas been absent for several weeks;
christian Girl. chairman OF the mo-
.or transport section O. Q. NJ O..
VINO has been away for the past sew
ersl days; and by the frequent abb
Sehce OF Hugh Chalmers. A. W. Cop
land' and many others who recently
were extremely busy here.
There has been persistent
rumor here, denied emphatically by
army officials. to the effect that
secretary OF War Baker will re-
man IN France and be succeeded
mere by Major General Goethals, at
present eating quartermaster gen
eraL Such action would have an I'M
portant effect on automotive mat !
ters Secretary Baker has expressed
himself energetically In favor OF
standardized trucks. airplanes mo- /
'orcycleE, etc. General GOethals, Z
according TO reports. IL less inclined ,
10 this viewpoint. and would prob- |
ably be more inclined 10 fayor the
use OF existing vehicles and facili- |
Ties. The rumor may or may not he
True. II has been heard daily since
secretary Baker left. At@the Rame
time, the secretary Is now an
nounced as nearing Italy and max
ing ready to return home