Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-08

kCOntlnued from Filth Page.l
minican Republic, Fiji Islands. Gilbert
| and Ellice Islands, Grenada. Guam,
Dutch Guiana Haiti, Hawaii, Presi-
dency of MontSerrat, New Hebrides,
Nicaragua. Porto Rico. st. Lucia, St.
Pierre eft Miquelon, American and west
ern SanioS, Transiordania and the vir-
gin Islands
The durability of the American auto
mobile product Is believed to be one OF
the greatest reasons for its desirabiiity
In the foreign market and some idea OF
this may be obtained from a report
which shows that many of the 81, 500
army trucks and ambulanceS left IN
France by the American Expeditionary
Forces in 1918 are stiIl In active service.
the ambulances in most instances hav-
ing been turned into light delivery
wagons. They are being kept In repair
by French dealers In automobile parts,
who bought up entire spare-parts
depots at the conclusion of the conflict
Although IL was said that the pres
ence of these trucks at first caused
some apprehension as to their possible
effect on the French market, as a mat
ter Of fact. experience has shown that
1t has not irnpeded the sale of new
vehicles to any great extent. Immedi-
ately after the war the French automo-
bile industry was not in position to
fill the demand for commercial We
f1icles, and while local industry was go
ing through the transition period in re-
adjusting plants to peace-time manu-
facture many of these trucks rendered
fine service In filing temporary need
Incidentally, 1t Is continued, the excel
lent performance of these vehicles did
much to establish for American trucks
the good reputation they now have In
France.
Many of the American trucks in
France after the armistice were never
reconditioned for Luther use After
cessation of hostilities they remained
with the United States Army In motor
transport camps. where they were kept
In temporary repair. When the Army
came back to the United States 1t left
behind much Of this equipment. which
the French government took over. but
for which IL reimbursed the United
States.
As there were no facilities at the time
for taking the necessary care of this
equipment. thousands OF the trucks
were left unattended all over the coun-
try during the Winter and Spring
months. The government later sold
them at auction, and most OF them
passed In large quantities into the
hands Of dealers. Great damage, how
e+er, had already been done by the
neglect during the preceding months.
and many OF the trucks were practically
useless some being sold as mere junk
About this time an effort was made
10 ship great many OF these vehicles
back TO the States, but fear Of posi-
bic crippling of the American industry
itself BY an oversupply Of this war
stock caused the American Government
10 invoke the anti-dumping clause OF
the tariff law to protect home pro-
ducers, and 1t consequently levied a 30
per cent ad yalorem duty on them.
Practically all Of the 1875 passenger
cars left in France by the American
Army have disappeared II Is egti-
mated that war trucks in active service
now number approximately $4,000
Although the value OF many OF the
| complete trucks was considerably inn
paired BY neglect and by the weather
when they were lying In the fields. most
| Of the boxed parts, owing to the ex-
| cellence Of American packing methods,
sustained little damage In one group
| OF 5000 cases Of parts bought by q
dealer near Paris the packing was 30
| well done that years later all the mate
| rial was as good as new, despite the
| fact that the boxes had been exposed
| 10 the weather from 1918 10 1924 before
| being stored In warehouses In Paris
Some are still In their original contain
ers. with their shipping documents still
| legible, though yellowed with age. Parts
| taken from these boxes are In good
condition, and after being given a coat
/ Of Oil are ready 10 be shipped 10 Gus
| TONERS