The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-17

were hauled by these tractors built by
Holt, at Peoria. The mobility of the
allied heavy artillery became infinitely
greater than the Teutons the great
value to the allied cause of the cater.
pillar in 1915 and on was indeed beyond
England bought thousands Of Is and
l20-horse power Holts-used them in
France. at Gallipoli and Suez, in Meso-
potamia, Palestine, East Africa, France
bought ASS and drew in the COS from
the big estates in Tunis, Russia like
wise ordered a quantity,
Climb Like He'll.
A British army engineer, Col. NOW
major-general) SwintoH, had, in 1913
or 1914. heard of the caterpillar's per-
formances in some demonstrations near
Antwerp; one of his friends had writ
ten him that Here was "A Yankee farm
tractor that could climb like hell" 1t
had long been a scheme of military sci
entiSts to build a mobile field fort or
armored protection for infantry in both
offensive and defensive against ma
chine gun fire: the traction question
was the great obstacle. But when he
heard of his tractor he set to think
ing; when he realized what terrible
/ toll of British lives was being taken
by the countless German machine guns,
he knew his problem was moro vital
than ever; when the caterpillar was
adopted for artillery use by the Brit
ish army he saw in this tractor the
answer to all his problems. The ar
mored fighting MACHINE conceived by
Col. Swinton was thus inspired by the
caterpillar and he has with all frank
ness given full credit to this machine,
invented by the American. Benjamin
Holt. as the foundation and inspiration
for the tank.
| Mo -Con EuyinInn (thpu pplpOpn WINS
the famous eyewitness detailed to re-
port the true facts of the war for the
British press. These big farm tractors
hauling guns drove home his idea of
a moving and fortress. Such a car
was badly needed to combat the Ger
man machine gun. On a recent visit
to stockton 10 pay his respects to Mr..
Holt, Gen, Swinton said that while
America had contributed the ma
chine gun it also provided the antidote
in the shape of the Holt tractor, which
sired the tank.
1t seems the Germans mad been build
ing machine guns under royalty from
England, but for some time before the
war they had made no accounting. II
is thought they had accumulated at
least 80, 900 when the war opened and
had great numbers or trained units to
handle them. The German general
staff had learned the defensive value
! OF the HldCillHt EulN NJ W Fllhhi
during the Russo-Japanese war, and
had profited by the lesson. In attack.
retreat and defense these guns moved
down British troops by thousands.
Used in Mesopotamia.
The tanks were made under great
secrecy. II was noised about that they
we're water tanks for use in Mesopo-
tamia, hence the name. When holes
were cut In the big boxes for mount
ing guns, the word was given out that
they were revolving snow plows for use
in Russia. Each one was labeled witt
care, to Petrograd."
They were a complete surprise to The
Germans. How well they did their
work is common history. The Germans
never evolved an adequate defense
Their own brief attempt at tank war
fare failed utterly through the crude
ness and clumsiness Of their machines
The tanks not only cleaned up the
machine guns, but they drew the fire
that would otherwise LAY wiped on
regiments. Frederick Palmer, the wal
correspondent, says the tanks saved
90 900 lives on the Somme in the faI
of 1916 alone.