Evening star., 1934-06-24
To prove that they could 90
anywhere and get back safely
these young women made an
unchsperoned drive of $4,000
miles, and had a swell time

m INSTEAD of burning their bridges behind
them when they set out to glTdle the
world with a truck, Leila Roosevelt and
Edna Olmsted broke theirs and heard them
crash The two girls, believed to be the
first unaccompanied women to have made
a motor trip around the world, saw their
bridges go down in Turkey.
I'VE used to walk over the bridges and
shake them" Miss Roosevelt relates After
we had tested them would back the truck
60 feet and the momentum of our speed would
carry us over The bridge would collapse be-
hind U.s. We had to 60 on and repeat the
stunt with the next wobbly bridge because
we had broken an the bridges behind us. We
couldn't go back!
The bridges that collapsed were only one
of the dangers that strewed the road around
the world which the two women explorers have
lust circled-a road that ran for % 900 miles
and required IA months of travel, at cost
of between $4,000 and $4,000
Miss Roosevelt is the wife Of Armand Denis,
explorer and motion picture director. She is
the daughter of Andre Roosevelt, whose father,
Cornelius, was first cousin to the late Theo-
dore Roosevelt, and she is related to both
President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Back in January of 1888, when her husband
was selected to direct Frank Bucks Wild
Cargo" she asked If she couldn't 60 along.
She had been included In other expeditions
to far-of places. This time permission was
refused.
CHE decided that she would 60 travelling
y anyway She would take a trip around
the world in truck to prove that she could
60 anywhere, for o good time and come back
safely. She advertised for q girl mechanic to
accompany her-one with unlimited nerve, me
chanical knowledge and ability to shoot Edna
Olmsted, IS, was chosen
It was one year ago last April that the
snow-white truck, equipped for living purposes
and decorated with q picture of a great black
panther, left Antwerp.
But the truck lost its popcorn color soon.
It got stuck In the mud. In fact, II 1t hadn't
been for the roadside chivalry Of the primi
tive people-camel drivers gendarmes and
peasants-the truck would still be sitting in
the mud.
"For two months, as we came through Tur-
key and Persia, it rained every day." Miss
Roosevelt relates. 1.-THE mud was high over
the running board every inch Of the way and
stones stopped the car. We drove 16 hours
every day, averaging about Is or 16 miles.
I'VE we're pulled out Of the mud by oxen 20
times In eight days in Turkey. There would
always be from 40 to 60 men helping.
"They would throw their caps in the air
and shout, they would be 30 jubilant when they
finished, but they never accepted one cent in
payment. They feted us instead, served us
food cooked in mutton fat and met us with
brass bands"
The two adventures have brought back tales
Of slippery, slanting roads that skirted noun
tains with deep precipices on the other side.
IF the roads had been straight it wouldn't
have been so bad but they tilted toward the
precipices," Miss Roosevelt says. AT the time
they didn't seem 50 dangerous. They were SO
thick with mud that the truck was half buried
In it all the time
1.-THE front wheels had a habit Of starting
over the embankment before we could stop.
Then there was nothing to do but sit and wait
until some oxen came along"
There was the time when precipice, Is