Evening star., 1933-01-30
ARMY CUTS FEARED
FOR TRUCK TESTS.
Vital Artillery Experiments
Must End Under Bill,
Officials Say.

Furtner experiments WlIl uloItoii1a
tion OF Field Artillery would be prac-
.ically halted, it is contended in Army
circles, under restrictions imposed by
the House in passing the 1884 war
Department appropriation bill.
For two years the Army has suf-
fered from the handicap Of a $3.50
limitation placed on the purchase OF
trucks, but until now no successful
effort had been made to apply this
drastic limitation to trucks or motor
equipment used in important expert
restores the original language of the
bill, officials said, it would be use
less to experiment further in the mo-
toriZa ton of artillery units SO as to
develop swift-moving light and heavy
batteries capable of long sustained
croSs-country movements in an emer-
gency.
This is a phase Of development with
which the Army has been meeting
with marked success during the last
year with battery of guns drawn by
standard commercial trucks. To as
1semble these trucks, however, costs
SOllSlOeIdUly IlOie Illdll GllC Stoo
limitation under which the Army would
be compelled to operate during the next
fiscal year if the clause is not removed
from the pending bill.
Opposed by Hurley.
Furthermore, the bill limits new ex-
,penditures for trucks to $150,00O, a re-
sduction of S428500 in the amount
asked by the War Department. Secre-
stary of War Hurley, it was said, is
sstrongly opposed to this cut as well
sas the $3.50 limitation, as an unwar-
~ranted restriction on administrative
sability in supplying the actual needs
of the Army for transportation and ex-
'perimentation.
Aside from the economy involved,
Representative Collins, Democrat, of
mississippi, in charge of the Army ap-
preparation bill, declared the limitation
was for the purpose of compelling the
military to develop light trucks. Here
1tofore, however, the restriction had not
applied to the important experiments
lin motorizing the Cavalry or Field Ar
!. tillery In reporting out the supply
bill, however, he omitted the clause
except for experimentation" and. de-
spite opposition, it was omitted from
the bill as it passed the House.
= The $3.50 limitation. it was declared.
makes it impossible to procure trucks
of sufficient sturdiness and endurance
to withstand the rigors of cross-country
tests. The lowest price paid for an
Army truck was S525, but this type
was built only for road service and
proved entirely unsuited for military
service
During 1892, owing to the limitations
placed on prices and the urgent need
fnr m or a1 :y, fI,n
perimental trucks were assembled at
the Holabird Quartermaster Depot in
Baltimore. The units required to as
semble these trucks were procured from
unit manufacturers and assembled into
complete vehicles at the depot.
War Lesson Learned.
This policy was adopted as result
Of lessons learned in the st. Mihiel and
Meuse-Argonne drives during the
World War, when trucks with parts
broken had to be abandoned on the
road because of the impossibility of
procuring the necessary spare parts for
the particular make of truck. In an
other emergency, the Army has figured
that there must be Standardization and
interchangeability of units which the
industry must and can furnish, pro-
vided the Army tells them what it
wants.
Despite the great economy in assem-
bling these experimental trucks for a
motorized battery Of Field Artillery. it
was found the type of truck could not
be assembled for less than $3.50 for
the ones used in towing guns and $1,000
for hauling ammunition. Special equip
ment was found necessary to enable the
trucks to operate efficiently on hard
cross-country runs.
Without going into the technicalities
OF such equipment, subjected to several
months of grinding tests over various
kinds ct terrain. it was declared at the
War Department that the ordinary
trucks which can be purchased with
$3.50 limitation are utterly unfit for
motorized artillery.
The Army, to keep apace with other
nations, also is undertaking to expert
ment with a heavier type of artillery
truck, as we'll as with the motorization
of anti-aircraft guns. ITO get there
first with the most guns" was an axiom
d. of warfare pronounced by the famous
Confederate leader, Gen. Nathan Bed
ford Forrest. who is credited with
making even swifter moves than
"Stonewall'' Jackson That policy is
even more applicable today in modern
3. warfare. and it was with the idea of
being able to mobilize its artillery with
: utmost speed that the Army is anxious
: to continue these essential tests. Un-
!. less the restriction is removed so as not
: to apply to trucks for moving artillery
. in such experiments. officials at the
!. . War Department declare the Army
. must continue to depend solely on the
: slow and plodding horse.