The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-07-02
ARMY MOTOR
/ CONVOY "TRIP
Secretary of War Baker and General
Staff Authorized First Transcon-
tinental Army Motor Convoy Trip
LINCOLN HIGHWAY DESIGNATED
Trip Significant in illustrating u'ti'
mate Possibilities Of Revolution
izing Transportation


have authorized the first transconti-
mental army motor convoy trip. The
Lincoln highway has been designated
as the route to be followed, and this
recognition of its connected improve.
ment and wise location establishes 1t
as. the first Atlantic to Pacific mill
tary highway and presages its ultl-
mate selection as the backbone route
Of any federal highway system.
The cross country trip of this first
motor transport convoy will in its
way be as historic an event as the first
transatlantic flight. Its significance
| in illustrating the ultimate possiblllty
of another revolutionizing step in the
Ideyelopment of transportation Will be
as great. -g..
The Lincoln Highway association
has for many months been working
with the war department and the OIL
GERS of the motor transport corps,
first in assisting in the selection and
logging Of the various routes from IN
terror manufacturing centers TO the
Atlantic coast during the war; ana
later in providing the necessary data
for the first transcontinental trip, the
final authorization Of which assures
the greatest public demonstration OF
the practicability OF long distance
freight transportation and the neces.
sitv Of linking up interstate routes OF
travel, which has ever been offered TO
the county.
Two complete truck companies OF
war strength consisting of total OF
az. army trucks, including all of the
standard makes used by the govern
ment during the war, as we'll as mum
Der of the B type designs, accompan,
lied Iby five staff, observation anu
Reconnaissance passenger cars. COM
plement of motorcycles, alnbulances
tank truks mobile field kithens, mo-
bile repair shops and signal corps
|searchlight trucks, and personnel
lof 2O9 army officers and men VIII De
officially started from the eapftol az
washington on July 7th. The convoy
will proceed by way OF Frederick to
IGettysburg, Pa, from which point the
lLincoln highway will be followed to
lSan Francisco. x
| Vice President and Field Secretary
In. C. Ostermann of the Lincoln High
lway association has been appointed
Iby General Drake of the motor trans
port corps as official pilot for the Trip
and the Lincoln Highway assoclatlon
has been delegated to handle all pup
Ilicity for the army and to cooperate
lin every way possible to provide the
Ibest of road conditions. ,.. " ~. ...
Brigadier General Charles B. Drake
chief of the motor transport corps, an
Inounces the purposes of the trip to DC
lfour fold: To provide an extended ser
|vice and performance test Of the var
Iious standardized types of army motor
leuuipment. To collect detailed data
Ifor use in connection with the technl
cal training of the commissioned ano
Ienlisted personnel Of the motor trans
port corps and provide an opportunlt!
lfor extensive studies in terrain obser
|vation and needed highway data by
1.-THE field artillery, the engineering
lcorps and the motor transport corps
i To demonstrate the practicability o.
long distance motor commercial trans
portation and the consequent neces
! sity for the expenditure Of govern
mental appropriations to provide nee
essary highways and to- assist IN tht
movement for the continuous improve
ment of, not only the Lincoln highway
but all through connecting routes II
the union And last but not least, tt
provide an opportunity for procuring
recruits for the motor transport ser
vice. ..e ..s'. ..s
In announcing the trip Genera
Drake, who will be in personal charge
of the convoy from Salt Lake Git!
lWeSt, said:' ....- = a.. .,. ....-...,.
"We hope in conducting this flrs
transcontinental run of an army trans
port convoy, to give an exhibition u
1.-The general public of the vast develop
ment of the motorized branch of tn
!. army and of the motor vehicle TO
military purposes, which development
lis conceded to be one of the principa
/. factors contributing to the winning o
the war. 1t is also to be hoped tina
the trip, in addition to providing eS
perience and data required by the wa
department, will serve the purpose o
indicating the need for the immediate
: development of transcontinental high
ways and Of through interstate con
Meeting roads as military and econom
, ic assets. This trip over the Lincoll
highway is in measure the war de
. partments contribution toward tn
, good roads cause, movement il
which the army is vitality interested.
Letters have been addressed by tn
war department to the governors AM
state highway departments of the tel
, states traversed. requesting that i'm
provements now in progress or in cor
, temptation for the Lincoln highwa,
this season be rushed.
No record will he attempted on tn
trip and every opportunity will be pre-
vided for road meetings in the mali
centers on the route, for talks by re
cruiting officers on the benefits of tn
motor transport service and by off
GERS of the engineering corps on hiSt
|way improvement. Demonstration
land civic holidays will be planned al