The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-22
China Counts On American Truckers To Give Nation Highway To Victory
KeeShin Tackles Systematizing Of Transport
By NEA Service

t,,ckrnan who built one old two- cylinder, rard-tire truck into a fleet of 25oo streamlined highway cruisers, is going to China to systematize the road transport system on which hangs China's only chance Of win ming the Japanese war.
 He is John Lewis Keeshln, president of the Keeshin Trans continental Motor Freight Lines, the development of which turned truck ing into big business. Already his as- sistant, Maurice Sheahan, vice pres ident and treasurer of Keesh1n Freight Lines. Inc, a subsidiary, IS on his way to China to begin the huge task. Keeshin himself will fol- low later.
 The job of creating smooth working motor transport system for China, while vastly more diffi- cult han 1t was for the United States, is somewhat similar. And Keeshins experience in creating the first American transcontin- ental system should be of the ut most service in solving the Chin csc transport problem.
 PRODUCT OF ROUGH
 AND TUMBLE ERA
 Keeshin knows what it is to build. His first delivery job was driving a horse and wagon for his fathers Chicago meat markets. Keeshin was soon drawn to trucking, and he hauled produce to the tough South Water Srteet Market by night, at a time and place when the man with the hardest and quickest fists was the man who got his truck up to the loading dock.
 His first long haul job is said to have been with a load of wine grapes to Joliet - 36 miles - in a chain drive job with carriage lamps for headlights and no wind- shield to fend off the winter gale.
 Keeshin rose the hard way. A tie more business here, little more there a fourth truck. Every dime taken in, outside bare living for himself, going into new equip ment. By 1920, he had 25 trucks; by 1925, he had SO; by 1880, 100.
 After that, he was one of the potent figures in the tarly stages of a rising business. By 1885, Keeshin was operating in half-dozen states with 200 tractors, 300 trailers.
 The great yellow vans were fa- miliar on all roads. Keeshin pioneer ed in safety work, in schedule main tanance, in systematizing and CO., ordinaing a spreading network of truck lines.
 The next year an alliance was formed with the Lehman Bros, banking fir m of New York, and with added capital, further expan- sion was made. Other lines were purchased, consolidated into a sys- tenn which now covers the country.
 Notoriously unafraid of the rack eteers and hi-jackers who have at times infested the motor carrier field, Keeshin has faced persona, danger and hardship, regulatory red-tape, financial handicaps, and crganizational difficulties, without flinching. It was this record which drew the Chinese government to seek his services in solving a prob lem on whose answer depends the future of China as an independent country.
 HE'S GOT A
 TOUGH JOB
 Keeshin's problem in China is tremendous. Japan holds all the sea- ports of China, most of the impor- tant railroad functions and river transport facilities.
 The government of China and its military forces have been showed back up the rivers to the west and south. The only course of supplies is now through the back door," by haStily-built motor roads from Rus sia, Burma, and French Indo-C China
 The desperate flinging of a road from the Burmese border to the Chinese city of Running in eight months, over nearly 800 miles of mountains, with little but the bare hands of 16o,0O0 Chinese coolies as tools, is an epic of modern times. It is 2100-mile haul from the Bay of Bengal to Chungking provisional Chinese capital.
 This road is narrow, with barely room for two trucks to pass. The route to Russia is longer, and worse. Twelve miles an hour ii good speed, while torrential rains tear at the Burma road, making heavy maintenance work neces- sary at all times.
 Three thousand American trucks have already been bought in the United States by China. Most of them are already at Rangoon, Bur- ma, or Haiphong, 1ndo-China. An other 2000 are to be sent later.
 To coordinate this vast trans portation, to eliminate termina, congestion at Haiphong, and other bcttle-necks of the system, to set the machinery to supply the life blood of supplies to the embattlec Chinese nation - that is the jot undertaken by Keeshin and his as- SOria fec