Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-07-11

army officers - nsn. vim be officiai-
" started from he capitol - Wash-
inston q July :. The CONVOY win pro-
cesd By way Of frederick to 0sttys-
burg. Pa, from which point the Lin
coir highway will be followed to San
Francisco.
Vice President and Field Secretary
II. G. Osterrnann. Of tho Lincoln High
way Association. has been appointed by
General Drake, Of tho motor transport
corps. as official pilot for the trip. and
tho lincoln Highway Association. thru
It's splendid organization along the
route. will co operate In every way
possible to provide tho best Of road
conditions.
Purposes Of Trip.
Brig. Gen. Charles y. Drake. chief Of
the motor transport corps. announces
tho purposts Of tho trip to be fourfold;
To provide an extended service and
performance test Of tho various stand
ardNed types Of army motor equip
ment: to collect detailed data for use
In connection with the technical train
Ing Of the commissioned and enlisted
personnel Of the motor transport corps
and provide an opportunity for extern
sive studies in terrain observation and
needed highway data by the field artil-
lery, the engineering corps and the mo-
tor transport corps; to demonstrate
the practicability Of long distance mo-
tor commercial transportation and the
consequent necessity for tho expendi-
ture Of governmental appropriations to
provide necessary highways and to as
sist in the movement for the continu-
Gus Improvement, Of not only the Lin
coin highway but all thru. connecting
routes in the union. Last, but not
least, to provide an opportunity for
procuring recruits 70 rthe motor trans
port service.
In announcing the trip General
Drake. who will be in personal COM
mand of the convoy from Salt Lake
City west, said;
1--WE hope In conducting this first
transcontinental run Of an army trans
port convoy to give an exhibition to
the general public Of the vast develop
ment Of the motorized army and OF
tho motor vehicle for military pur-
poses. which development is conceded
to be one Of the principal factors con-
Is also to be hoped that the trip in ad-
dition to providing experience and data
required by the war department, will
serve the purpose OF indicating the
need for the immediate development
Of transcontinental highways and Of
thru interstate connecting roads as
military and economic assets. This
trip over the Lincoln highway Is. in q
measure. the war departments contri-
button towards the good roads cause. a
movement in which the army Ii vitality
interested"
No Record Attempted.
No record ~::!! be attempted on the
trip and every opportunity will be pro-
vided for road meetings in the main
centers on the route. for talks by re-
cruiting officers on the benefits Of the
motor transport service, and by Off
GERS of the engineering corps on high
way improvements. Demonstrations
and civic holidays will be planned all
along the route, as we'll as official re-
ceptions by governors OF the various
states, the holding of the motor trans
port days, parades. local celebrations,
etc.
The fullest possible statistical and
historical data will be kept by officers
detailed for that purpose during the
course Of the run and daily reports
will 90 to the war department covering
not only the individual performance OF
every vehicle constituting the convoy,
but also engineering reports relative
to the condition of the Lincoln highway.
nature -aad. ssranxt1 eof hrid2ss, loca-
ton of grades, work in progress, etc.
Extensive studies in terrain will be
carried on by officers Of the engineer
ing corps and air service. and much
data Of the greatest value to vocational
schools established by the motor
transport corps, in the training Of the
commissioned and enlisted personnel.
will be secured. Special reports will
| be sent daily to the headquarters OF
the Lincoln Highway Association.
The convoy will be under the COM
mand of Colonel A. Owen Seaman. OF
the general staff from Washington to
Salt Lake City, Utah, at which point
General Drake will take personal COM
mand.
The longest previous convoy trip
| undertaken by the army was from
Chicago to New York. The Great west
has never been crossed by an army
| truck train.
It is planned that the convoy Will
reach the Preside at San Francisco
about Sept. 1.