Evening star., 1918-01-06
$4,000 MOTORS FOR
/ j. S. ARMY ABROAD
I.
Vast Plants in France tor
\ Trucks, Ambulances
y and Motor Cycles.
BY JUNIUs b. WOOD.
1s.a,.-rsm to The Sunday star ana
s.tc,ro Dnily News. Copyright, 1918.

been written Of the plans of raiiroao
TRANSPORTATION for the American expo
dition. Little publicity has been given
TO the equally big task of motor trans
narration. Every pound of freight car
ried by the ships and railroads must oe
handled again by motor trucks anu
Swaron trains. Besides, all communica-
tfon between the different UNITS
whetber messengers on motor cycles or
officers in touring cars. must be 1naoe
by gasoline power. Briefly the eApea'-
tion is figuring on having oo.ooo hio.o'
vehicles, divided as follows; Iruchs'
$4,000. ambulances. $500; automonlaes ans
1000: motor cycles. $500. This means
1sO. 900 men for their care ana opera
zfion alone With the factories, repair
shops and the storing OF mlillons %
gallons of gasoline and OIL, tnis s,,iiafne
= vast industry in itself. The oulluins
up of such an organization IN 1eM
months from nothing is itself stagger,
ing. even to American business ihsn
accustomed to big things, II an ,s % 1n the
firing line and keeping them 'heie
under proper conditions
No other power in the great war mas
faced q problem equal TO TINS. M
and Germany are fighting on their owl
soil. while Great Britain. holding par
Of The western front. is able TO orins
reserves from England in rev hoors-
It will take US as long 70 ge. supp.J tnpnpdeJ
rs 1t takes England to get them all the
way from home to the fighting 'front.'
To Build Complete Auto Plant.
Because of this situation America
win establish a fully equipped auto
mobile plant right here not sonly
capable Of rebuilding any OF the doz-
ans of makes of motors used. but OF
manufacturing the parts. The tools ana
raw material will be shipped over. Much
of the big machinery necessary mas al
ready arrived. saw the site which wiz
mot only be the location OF the piant.
but the center of much OF the actlNI.S
l0f the motor transportation depart
Ment. The factory will employ thou-
sands OF skilled automobile mechanics
and it's capacity for all around worh
Sfill not be equaled by that anf any 1ac-
Hory in the United States Near the
4actory, for obvious reasons, Will pc
ne organization park. salvage PARK
-central supply depot and the techni.
sal. staff headquarters composed OF
Emitted States factory representatives
&nd government mechanical experts
The organization park gives the newly
arrived car it's finishing touches pc
4Sre 1t starts on real service, whiie .he
alvage park receives oroken anu us
3{ernbered parts some months latter.
An the raw materials, supplies for re-
airs and spare parts VIII come ifo"
1be central depot.
THE technical stan is a new oepaIture.
&R6uxh its purpose Is obvious it's work
ali he varied. For instance, II IN
sects the breakage in the salvage park
6efore 1t is melted up to be used again
md reports whether the wearing out Is
7ne to faulty material or faulty design
n the man responsible in the frst place
= At the front he will be called to ac-
eunt: il he is home factory repre-
entative he sees the defect himself and
reports it. Then. too. the technical men
vii try to design more durable parts.
Assembling Knocked-Down Cars.
Inherent ports they will be assembled
& reception parks. numbers painted on
hem registered and loaded with sup
6iies relieving the railroads to that ex-
Tent. and started inland. Picked crews.
dach man an expert mechanic, Will run
hem. tuning them up until they reach
hs organization park. Here each will
Is equipped with a tow cable. pick and
novel. water cask and tools. Adjacent
- the organization park will be the
Ysrsonnel camp. where the men will be
organized into truck companies. Here
TIE new crews will take trains either
10 the reserve parks farther toward the
front or for service with the active
Supply trains. ammunition trains and
engineer trains.
The trucks will distribute according
70 the makes. all from single fac
tory operating in the same area. This
avoids the necessity of carrying many
hlnds Of parts and duplicating special
f6fs in the advanced repair shops. In
otdentally the mechanics will be di-
snail garage workers where any brand
&c car Is liable to stop and require
pstching. The former will be assigned
- the factory and the latter to the
front shops, where less finished Work
IL required.
Keeping the operating units to the
full capacity OF personnel and equip
rnent at all times is big task. AS
truck is buneted in shell craters or by
rDugh handling. until it falls by the
Waysfde. 1t Is started on its backward
course. II il is beyond doctoring by the
Train mechanic. with travelling shop.
8 II goes to one Of the many service
parks near the front. These are located
accordinR to the need. carrying spare
uarts and reserve cars and men. II the
car cannot be restored in e day another
Ii sent to take it's place.
Back Of them are a lesser number OF
oyerhauling parks for more compli-
Gated work before the rebuilding fac
tory and salvage parks are reached
Mechanics From Drafted Men.
For these many shops most of the
mechanics will be taken from the Ma
ftonal Army. They will be selected
according to their experience 1t is
expected that all men of this kind
required will be supplied. AS Amer
fca is now supplying Europe. every
drop OF gasoline and oil will be i'm
ported The former representative of
the Standard OIL Company in London
now a commissioned major in the
Army. is in charge of this important
branch Property has been leased
from a French corporation in various
ports at the nominal rental of 81 Il
year for the erection of storage tanks.
each with a capacity of $1,000 barrels.
After the war three arbiters will fix
the valuation based on anti-war prices
at which the government will sell
where the property owners make a
profit. At the various bases will be
Intermediate tanks with a total CO.
pacity of 100000 gallons. while
farther. on will be seen smaller tanks
hundred tank cars-an innovation in
Europe-hav~ been ordered to feed the
inland tanks from the tank ships
Drums can be used only near the
troops.
Getting down to details two grades
Of gasoline will be used. while the
lubricants will vary from castor oil
TO dozen kinds of locomotive gresses
All this gives some slight idea of the
work involved outside of the actual
a<hting-
Military Funerals for Slain Airmen.
Z eorr-s-"ndence of til. Associated Press.