Arizona republican., 1918-12-22
AUTOMOBILES ARE
GREAT FACTOR IN
SUCCESS OF ARMY

When Pershing and his soldiers
crssed the border into Mexico, the old
style pack train was there to do its
part as in other wars. But times had
changed, and better transportation
was the keynote of modern warfare.
The mule train was too slow, and
speed was vital. This was the first
opportunity that the government had
to test the utility of the motor car.
Cars were needed. and needed quick
ly. Pershing ordered many different
makes, for he had no way of knowing
which could successfully combat the
hardships of forced entrance into that
roadless country. Several hundred
Dodge Brothers cars were supplied by
local dealers along the border, and it
was only short time before the per-
formance of these cars became favor
ably conspicuous. The government had
been carefully watching the results.
Following closely came our entry
into the great war, and Pershing sailed
for France Thousands of cars were
needed quickly by the American ex-
peditionary forces. Transportation. the
backbone of the army, was the govern
ment's first thought. Within a. short
time Dodge Brothers motor car was
officially selected as the only car of
its class for use in all our military
operations. Training camps and can
tonments all over the country had their
Dodge Brothers cars in active service.
Thousands went to Pershing's men in
France. Other thousands were put to
every possible transportation use in
the United States. Cantonments had
their fire trucks, police patrols, hos
pital ambulances and other specia!
bodies mounted on Dodge Brothers
chassis
Dodge Brothers cars were used for
training the first motor car division,
as it was then called, in Camp John
ston, Jacksonville, Fla.
During the terrific storms of last
winter transportation was a serious
problem. Hundreds of these cars were
boxed at the works for export and car
ried to the seaboard on motor trucks,
travelling in trains of 80 to 60 trucks at
a time. Other hundreds were driven
to Atlantic ports under their own
power, in solid trains of as many as
120 cars where they were Grated for
overseas shipment
If these cars had seen strenuous
service in Mexico and in the United
States, the work they have been called
England, Russia and Italy has been
more strenuous still.
1t is with natural pride that the pub
lie hears of the good work the motor
car has done in helping to move our
forces ever forward. 1t is said that SOL
diers grow to love the tools and
weapons that serve them. They ad-
mire especially the inanmate things
that show endurance and stand up
under the terrific abuse made neces-
sary by the needs of war. No greater
tribute to the part that Dodge Brothers
cars have played could be written than
the enthusiastic letters from soldier
boys who have lived with them and
seen the grueling work they were
called upon to do.
Chauffer Chester W. Reynolds, chief
engineer section, A. p. o. No. 70G,
American expeditionary forces, France,
writes US under date of June 10 an in
teresting bit of description. He says
in part: p
We have nothing but praise for
Crazy Kid, as the car has been nick
named. 1t would be useless for me. to
say that this car is a wonderful piece
of machinery, because you already
know this. But / can tell you how
much satisfaction it is giving. and how
well it stands up under the very severe
usage that army cars are subjected to
along the front: operated a great part
of the time on poor French gasoline
and inferior grades of oil, driven at
high speed for many hours at time
over shell-torn roads, across open
fields, through the woods and marshes
Where.there arc practically no roads at
all, with very little time for adjust
ment and tightening of parts. This
gives you just faint idea of what
motor cars in the war are put up
| against. During my few months in
France | have driven many otherahigh-
class cars, both American and foreign.
! but | am in hopes that | may be kept
on No 1906 for some time yet to
| come"
Sergeant L. A Corbett, division
| headquarters, Camp Fremont, Cal,
writes under date of November Is. He
says:
4 was made a sergeant and placed
in charge of headquarters garage,
where all passenger transportation was
| handled. | now have charge of 1874
drivers, SO motorcycles and so Dodge
Brothers cars. The really main object
you the high regard that every driver
and officer here holds for Dodge
| Brothers cars and its performance. 1t
would be difficult to even imagine any
service more exacting or more siren
uous than what these cars are obliged
to stand up under, unskiled drivers
and every conceivable road condition.
Half the drivers don't care what hap
pens to the machine as long as it gets
there and back. One day the car will
be out with field officers over the very
toughest country they can find, fol-
lowing troops, charging double time
| over ploughed fields, across bitches,
up steep hills, across shallow trenches
and shell holes, into places that only
skilled drivers can get out Of The
next day or hour this same machine
will be obliged to make a fast trip to
Frisco or San Jose, travelling SO miles
an hour to catch some deserter or men
breaking quarantine. They often make
the 80 miles to San Francisco in As or
80 minutes, driving with the throttle
wide open half the time
]. r. Davis, lieutenant colonel of the
18th field artillery. American expedi-
tionary forces, France, sends us a let
ter dated August 10. He says:
Il am writing to you entirely unoffi-
cially on the subject of your cars.
am not in the supply division. and have
nothing whatever to do with the pur-
chase or issue of these cars. | used
one Of them, however. continuously
| for several months, and much of its
use has been under the most severe
conditions in the field. On the whole.
{ the car has stood up in a manner that