The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-18
SOLDIER SHOUTS AT
SIGHT OF U. 5. CAR
Joy of Coming Upon TRUE American
Friend 'in City OF Rcfms
Causes Outburst.

In telling the story of Dodge Bro
theirs famous @ NJ. car" which play
ed such remarkable part in the
motor history of the recent war, II Is
an almost Irresistible temptation to
fall back on quotations from the null
titude of interesting and graphic let
ters that have poured into the homo
Office from soldiers in almost every
branch OF the service, both In this
country and abroad. They are not
letters that have been written to
Dodge Brothers. possibly with selhsh
motives, but have been forwarded on
to them from friends in every part OF
the country. They merely mention
the car among the graphic details
OF their narratives because 1t was
so constant and intimate . part OF
their experiences. And the testimony
is all the more valuab bic because In
cidental and without motive.
OF course any lengthy narrative OF
the cars part in the war Is out II
the question here. 1t must sumice to
tell how il quickly became known as
the Handy Man of the Army" and
was pressed into all manner of service
where heavier cars could not go ana
less sturdy ones could not survive.
No sooner had the War Department
chosen the Dodge Brothers Motor Car
as the afficisl government car In it's
class than thousands of these cars
were rushed into service as spe ediiy as
the works at Detroit could turn them
cut
Tho long truck caravans or Trans
ports" as they were called. which fol-
lowed one another across the coun-
try to the seaboard we're almost
without exception led by officers in
Dodge Brothers touring cars, And
then somewhere along the train
would be seen the Dodge Brothers
20 NJ. Car" loaded with truck parts.
food officers equipment, and ready
to dash ahead intoo the nearest town
on necessary errands.
Eu. II was on the other side that
the real work began. and Of the many
letters referred 10 above will be quoted
for the rest of the story. written
nv typical devil -mav-care Yankee
soldier. and, rsatorscar enthusiast II
makes intensely Interesting reading.
The letter was written by W. A. F.
John, End 1t. Coast Artillery Corps
y. r. f
.'Any one not knowing the per
ffe.ftffa nee Of Dodge Brothers motor
cars here in France. he writes
would naturally say. 'Aw. hell. no
wonder he eheers' Did YOU ever sec
AN American automobile guy that
tgidn.t 80
"But il is A fact that whenever
have had a chance 10 talk TO Dodge
BROTHERS drivers and officers in the
Motor Transport corps, / have zone
80 T have asked what Kind of
'.haclta this Dodge Brothers car was,
then about repairs mileage, strength,
Probability and comfort.
srrruthfufly never once did I en-
counter one of these hard hoiled,
ic1fher-necked. two-iisfed. hard driv
Ing chauneurs who had anything but
praise fer tho car The first one l
ran into in france was back IN . -,
s.. near Cijou That was IN August
1qI- She was ali shiny and Elisten-
ed in the burgundy sunlight like a
thing alive She vas Just out OF
America they said and l almost kiss
Cd her. but this is a narrative ana
no Ia home sick drool
soon the cars began TO multiply.
and the wonderful hard roads back
there began to hum with them. but
the S q :, with its wonderful or
ranfzation and perfect roads. onered
no real test Of the strength of the car
where they catch he'll is up here!
"One evening recently. it was Just
before the attack in which eight
thousand guns were massed on front
or eleven ki1omeTers, 7 was Walking
through tho inky streets Of scissors
which were not even lighted with the
pickering aurora borealis OF the bar
rage That WAS when barrages were
ave and six day affairs and not the
ferocious FIVE or six-hour terrors they
later became
II was lonesome--damn lonesome
there amid the poilu and the Quilted
houses-when around the corner I
heard the whirring throaty shrek OF
an automobile horn. II was one OF
your cars-I would have known that
sound in heili
~ dashed around the corner on