The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-11-01
Frederic Haskin's Lette}
Motorized America.

world. AS once every ma. /, S
west rode a horse. 90 NM 49,.
men-and most women--r,d. r.
neys.
Canada Oar Closest RIM
The extent to which the n,xs~
States has outstripped the jSissss
the world In the manufactufs q
use Of motor cars is almost ~
ible. Only Canada rivals M ~ ~
In the dominion there ia an -.
mobile for every q popn,sSs:.
The Hawaiian islands COM s Y
with a car for every 90 az ~ s
plation; New Zealand has 4
for every As Of population, ~.
Cuba has one for every 81
when you come to complfs ~
United States with the other ~.
nations of the earth. our IL =
found to be enormous. Great ~
ain has but one car to everv ~
Of population. France one q, /.
every 1913 people. and Germany =.
/! car to every $3.50 people.
Those who imagine We n. !.
coming SO completely motor,ssa
that soon production will hSss :
lag until the depreciation spura =
demand, should cheer themseljs
by a glance at the map Of the vr.N
which has been prepared 10 -
the number of automobiles III n.
in all parts Of it. This shows -,
the motorization of the world IN
just begun. In the European cou,.
tries Just cited it is probable ~
the relatively small number q m
tomobiles owned is due to the a.
that a large part of the population
is too poor to own any sort n
transportation. But this appliea
only to a few crowded countri~
In all of eastern Europe, in all M
a small fraction of Africa, and 1
mere dot on the vast eYpanss q
Asia, the number of motor carr 4
use is less than one to every 6.o01
of population, which means ia,
the motorization of those countrie,
has not yet begun. r
In most of them. OF coursa. |,
cannot begin until roads have ben
improved, but experience sh6kI
that the road improvement alwsy,
goes along with the Increase :,
motor cars. 1t also seems to Il
true that the thinly populated partI
Of the earth are the ones wher,
motor cars are most valuable. Il
cities passenger cars, except whes
used by professional and bushes
people for professional and bed
ness purposes, are generally q Inn
Jury. There are street cars al
buses which will take you aims
anywhere you want to go. III
But out in the great plains Of u
west. a motor car is a necessity b
every man. 1t literally adds year
to his life by taking him 20 or 4
miles to town in, a fraction Of th
time he used toSpend on the sam
trip. His truck puts him inetouc
with markets that otherwise b
could not reach.
So the vast spaces Of Asia, A!
RIGA and eastern Europe are un
doubtedly waiting to be conquere
by the motor car. And this cour
try exported but per cent OF 4
production of motor cars in 1915
These comparatively figures a
singularly revealing Of the chaI
acter of America, They show ho
much more evenly wealth Is dil
tributed in this country than
amy other on earth. They sho
how this. uniform abundance PEI
sists in the west, and how In Il
great eastern centers it is givin
way to a sharp cleavage betwee
poverty and riches, such as ext
| in most Of Europe. 1t shows o.
, enormous appetite for whatever
| new and exciting. When the q
, tomobile band wagon came alon
t we climbed on and rode. We a
, still riding.