Evening star., 1940-10-20

National defense may have
variety of meanings for the auto
mobile owner, but he cannot escape
the conclusion that 1t involves
building up effective defense against
depreciation and deterioration OF MS
car. This may become a natlonal
problem for the American motorlst.
Although the 1941 models have
come along as planned, there is
strong possibility that, barring
agreeable surprises, there Will be
no 1912 jobs. And fewer. new cars
going into the hands of the punnc
will mean longer years OF service
for currently operated ones.
What defense methods will the
American motorist be able to adopl
- check this depreciation OF MS IN
vestment in the family car?
The question is asked with grow
inc realization that. for some time,
il has become the custom to neglect
the car, Essential service has been
bought, but the general ATTITUDE
has been one of letting the other
fellow worry about the matter OF
unkeep. Far too many motorists
have taken the attitude of being
perfectly willing to dig down Tor
new car whenever the old one
showed the slightest evidence OF
shabbiness.
New Situation Ahead.
What now?" keen observers ask.
What will be the attitude When
new cars are not so easily obtained,
when production is curtalled ana
prices are much higher?
Battery trouble continues 10 De
the second most important cause
of highway breakdown, according 10
figures issued by the American AUTO
mobile Association reporting on the
services rendered its members IN
affllated clubs throughout tne
country. Battery trouble is easily
nreventable. yet it accounted Tor
1888 per cent of the total NUMBER
of emergency road service cauS, OF
4l24 300. Starter trouble resulted IN
1926 200 calls. while 100000 calls
had to do with trouble with the
brakes and 3,886,100 were caused by
ignition failure. An accurate lndex
of the attitude of the motorlst these
DAYS is had through recording thae
l395400 calls were the result Oh
members being out of gas,
The trend in the other direction
viii not begin to materialize for
some time. but it will doubtless keep
pace with national defense. The
rroblem now is to face the TACT
that, for some years, the habit has
been one of accepting car trouble
as necessary evil and OF actually
encouraging it through neglect.
Service men have repeatedly SAID
that it has been very difficult to
sell services that prevent trouble.
Motorists have been ready to pay
to have actual breakage fixed or 10
trade in a troublesome car for some
thing new, but when it comes to a
service that will save the car in
the long run, real salesmanshlp is
required. Obviously, the average mo-
torist has not figured on long
run" He expects to start looking
around for q new car after year
or two.
Motoring Defense Program.
In formulating defense pro-
cram for motoring, five essential
points are being advanced. While
they are by no means tnal, they
are at least suggestive OF the new
line of thought which must be taken
if the American car owner is to
remain awheel and make the grade
without too much expense. Here
they are in abridged form:
l. Preventive services must be re-
ligiously bought. They may seem
to add considerably to the imme-
diate cost of motoring, but they will
save many major repairs and will
enable motorists to obtain the neces-
sary mileage from their cars at
time when the Nation must concen-
tr9te on efficiency.
2. There must be much higher
l2rel of driving skill, for driving has
much to dc with experience with
cars. Cars must no longer be so
greatly handicapped by carelessness
in handling.
3. Every effort must be made to
favor cars with the best of fuels.
lubricants and supplies. This point
needs no explanation.
4. Unnecessary mileage will not be
tolerated. There is to be no re-
striction of productive use of cars,
even effective recreational use of
them. But promiscuous, wasteful
driving will be taboo.
5. Car owners must again roll up
heir sleeves. There will be much
or them to do by way of cleaning,
polishing and the simpler forms of
tlning up. In the national defense
--Ogram there will not be five filling