Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-31
THINKS AMERICA
|S0N THE WAY TO
M0T0R|zE WORLD
Alfred Reeves Asserts Auto
Industry's Future Lies in
Foreign Countries.

| That the automobile industry's great
est future lies in foreign countries.
| whore people are realizing the advan
tages of motor vehicles for transporta
! ton of passengers and freight. was
! the statement made Thursday evening
f, at the banquet of the American Manu-
| faeturers Export Association. by AL
! fred Reeves. general manager of the
| National Automobile Chamber of Com
merce, in his address on How America
| is Motorizng the World" The i'm
| portance of the foreign markets he
| brought out, may be readily inferred
from the fact that there is in the Unit
! ed States one car for every fourteen
| inhabitants and one car only for every
2,S40 Inhabitants throughout the world.
Among other things, Mr.. Reeves said:
100000 Used in L. S.
| This country is now using 100000
| motor vehicles. of which $4,000 are
| trucks, and with production this year
about 100000 motor vehicles The
| modern motor vehicle has already
| commerce. provided new standard of
| life and inaugurated new philosophy
| of thought. 1t must take the same posi-
| ton in other countries of the world. just
as soon as the people fully appreciate
-! it's time-saving value.
which represented s per cent of the value
| of all completely manufactured prod
uctS shipped abroad, amounted to 139.-
S75 vehicles, valued at S166,96l.709 :;
whereas, those Of all automotive prod
| ucts exceeded $220,000,800 during the
| post twelve months. Automobiles are
! now exported to more than ninety diff
| ferent countries of the world. Ship
nentS are by no means limited to older
European countries. Uruguay and
hat ctpoc of
cars than France, while Argentina ranks
| higher than any of the older ScandL
! navian countries.
SHOWS Of Iceland No Bar.
1.-THE SHOWS of Iceland and the Farce
Islands have not prevented inhabitants
| from buying 81 motor trucks and SO
passenger cars. whereas, in Belgian
| Congo the 10 motor trucks and II pas
senger cars imported last year, are DEM
| hicles as means for opening up sections
| rich in tropical products. Surely our
world that became SO solid on motor
! transportation during the war. will go
on making use of motor cars and motor
| trucks.
| Iowa and Nebraska has a car for
every six people; American farmers
own 2,500,00 cars; $4,000 motor vehi-
Giles bring freight and passengers
| from surrounding country to Manhat-
tan Island every day. The power
driven vehicle has added so much to
the productivity of America that sure
lily other countries will hasten the day
when they can use them in large num-
bers.
up to a few years ago. the motor
car in foreign countries was looked
upon as a luxury to be enjoyed only
by the rich. Today their use for
utility is fast increasing. and the
American automobile has become an
international commodity.
Development of Resources.
THE intensive development of re-
sources of most foreign countries de-
ponds primarily on transportation
South America, Asia, Africa, Australia
and immense stretches of European
Russia will require considerably in
creased transportation facilities if the
products available in the inland sec
lions are to be profitahly marketed in
parts distant from place of produce
ton.
Constantly increasing exports of
country with resultant greater pur-
chasing power of Inhabitants is an
object favored by any government,
and of which the attainment is facili-
of means of transportation"
:In deciding on the kind of trans
portation most suitable for partic-
ular country, the governmental agen-
cy in charge of such matters will con-
slider as foremost the factors of mi
tial cost, advantages of system and
upkeep.
The initial construction cost of
any kind of transportation system is
undoubtedly from the viewpoint of
country. the factor of greatest impor-
lance. 1t is especially so in territories
where inland waterways are either
missing or unnavigable. and resort
must be taken to railway or motor
vehicle transport.
Need In r. Il. Construction.
"If the construction of a railway
is contemplated it will be necessary
to provide for cost of rails, as few
foreign countries outside of Europe
have foundries and rolling mills from
which t6 obtain equipment Of that
kind. Specially trained men Will also
be needed to supervise work OF lay
ing the tracks. A certain number of
native laborers will be employed at
tasks involving manual work. The
expense of Snch an undertaking is
well warranted if the traffic is to
move over a distance longer than
seventy-five miles.
Most foreign countries. however
are primarily concerned at the present
stage in developing traffic facilities
in the immediate environs of principal
cities and providing means of trans
port for both passengers and products
from points seventy-five miles away
from railroad trunk lines or shipping
terminals.
TT is in these spheres that the great
est use will be made of motor vehicles.
Not only will the cost of transport
by their use within such areas be less
than that by rail, but it will also be
possible. in the construction of roads.
to use almost exclusively native labor
and local materials.
Matter Of Fuel and Freights.
Coal. because of it's bulkiness and
consequent high freight rates thereon
is becoming an expensive fuel for
locomotives in countries having no
local supply. Gasoline, however. be-
cause of it's compactness. can be i'm
ported at a comparatively low cost
Then. too, means are being found to
use instead of gasoline such fuel
as Natalie" which is distillate
obtained in the manufacture of sugar
and which in certain sections of
Africa is selling at one-half the price
of gasoline.
The farmer in the United States
has been brought close to the cities
because of the use of motor vehicles.
He has been enabled to reduce con-
siderably the time required in the
transport of his products. Greater
productivity has been the result. In
most foreign countries the same
tendency is developing.
The automobile industry believes
that reciprocity with other countries
! will make for mutual prosperity. 1t
welcomes the motor cars of foreign
countries just as it endeavors to sell
| American products in those coun-
| tries.
Ask Reduction of Duties.
BY a unanimous vote our makers