Evening star., 1918-04-21
MOTOR TRUCKS PLAY.
BIG PART IN WAR
Three Men Have Speeded Up
This Great Phase of Prep
aration for Battle.
CLOSED CARS IN MAJORITY

Folks here at home are thoroughly
uniformed on what our motor trucks
are doing for the armies we are send
ing abroad. says the Motor Life Tor
April
Three men, three whose names nave
seldom appeared in dispatches or
Kraced the columns of front pages arc
working wonders with automobile ana
truck divisions. Quietly. Cen II. L.
Rogers, Col. F. H. Pope and Maj. ROD
ert Andrews have speeded up this
nhase of the service until the motor
tnnsport section stands out as the
pace-maker for all departments of the
United States service in Europe
Mai Andrews, who was in this city
recently on a special mission. lresn
from the front, sheds much nght on
the motorized branch of war WORK.
Forty per cent of the automobiles
used abroad are closed cars and most
of these are used by officers Inc Of
ficer's car is practically his home. He
rides in it. works in it-o1ten WINS
travelling from one point to another
and directs the conduct of most OF his
business from it. Often he sleeps IN
1t. Mud. dust, rain. sleet. and otner
elements against which the touring s
out of his office. Hence the closed
car.
Road Conditions Splendid.
The roads in France are in splendid
condition. Even UP to the communf-
eating trenches. just behind the first
lines, highways are in good shape
They have to be. Because trains OF 5o
to 500 motor trucks are moving con-
stantly to and from the front, the ne
cessity for keeping the road in repair
Is obvious. The very efficient French
military police, composed OF old or
partially incapacitated soldiers, fill the
duties of a great traffic squad. Their
work is the same as that of our Met
ropolitan police-to keep the traffic
moving and weed out obstacles that
might interfere with it's steady move
ment.
Each fleet of ten trucks has a me-
chanic. skilled in quick repair and ad-
justment. If one of the trucks in this
group goes wrong. he fixes it If the
fixing can be quickly accomplished. If
not, the truck is run OF the road and
voy may proceed without delay.
At each side of each road there are
12-by-12-inch beams, laid end to end
for the many miles from base to front.
drivers, because no lights whatever
are permitted. Even tail lights are ta-
boo. because likelihood of breakage of
the 1red glass. discs is great. Night
darkness. the drivers keeping to the
right of the road and guided by the
bump-bump-hu hump of the heavy wheels
against the thick beams.
Center of Road Open.
The center of the road is always kept
open for dispatch and officers cars.
And because there is often room for
only one passenger car on the crown Of
the road. the trucks. being slower must
keep to extreme right and left Of the
highways. After each tenth truck
there is ram or moving island for
one automobile to turn in SO that an
other from the opposite direction may
pass The tenth truck has a large
white circle painted on it's side which
may readily be discerqed on the dark
est nights. This indicates the pres
snce of the ram for the officers car
to turn in while the approaching car
passes.
There is practically no marching of
troops. Motor trucks carry them to
and from the trenches. This elimi-
mates much WEAKNESS for the men and
much delay in transportation.
Group zones, in which two or three ;
kinds Of trucks are used to the exclu-
sion OF other makes, are a recent de-
velopment. This permits mechanics to
specialize and allows for interchanging
OF parts that would not be possible
were dozen kind of trucks used in
the same section of the country
Strfctest orders prevail as regards
the conservation of fuel Whenever
trucks or cars are halted for more
tnan minute or two the engine is cut
on Failure to observe this rule brings
heavy punishment to the offender