The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-27
Fair Enough
Nv WEsTBROOK PEGLER
,onvrisht. 1916. by King Features syndica

Nv WESTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1916, by King Features syndicate)
In 1914 when motor fuel was severely ra-
toned and automobile traffic was curtalled
accordingly. nevertheless, $4,000 persons were
killed IN accidents on the American streets
and highways. AS Major General Philip B.
Fleming. administrator of the Federal Works
Agency. put it in q discussion of this rising
horror before the American Association Of
State Highway Officials, this might have been
more impressive disaster, but no worse,
If q tornado. or he might have said, an atomic
bomb had killed every human being in JET
serson City. Mo- He did not even mention
the additional cost of non-fatal casualties.
This was a saving of $4,000 lives under
the holocaust CT the last year of normal tra1-
fic and normal slaughter, lS4l, when o1'Uoo
lives were lost. But Immediately a1ter the
war ended, in August of last year, the deatn
toll Jumped rs per cent over that OF August
1914 and in October it rose to SO per cent
above the preceding October. For further IL
lustration, General Fleming could have SAID
that the cost in life of recklessness, Ignorance
and carelessness plus the minor causes OF
motor crashes in 1914, was just IA under
the population Of Joplin At the present rate
it is likely to reach about the same figure IN
1915 even with many fewer cars in motion
but with most of these few in bad condition
rom wear, bad use and neglect.
Some new tires, mostly synthetic, have re-
placed worn and damaged relics OF l94l, out
there is some question Of their reliability Inc
manufa cturers naturally want to sell new tires
out II some Of them have given too favor
able impression Of these synthetics to the
public in their advertising, p W. Litchtield,
the chairman Of the board of Goodyear Tire
and Rubber, Certainly is conservative. Syn
thetic rubber will be with us from now on
In varying proportions 10 natural rubber Mr..
Litchfield writes that there is no simple an
swer to very technical question as to the
relative safety Of synthetic and natural rub
Der in tires Pointing out that natural rubber
tires sometimes blew out. he writes that ''con-
ditions which cause excessive heat are more
readily developed by synthetic tires" Heat
increases the pressure and laymen driving
fast, as the custom is, in the Arizona desert
and other hot regions. have found that even
with natural rubber tires the pressure rises
dangerously at 50 miles an hour. Some syn
thetics have simply disintegrated and the lay
opinion has been that they were less elastic
than the old tires although Mr.. Litchfield at
this point interposes the question Of the con-
dition o. the tires. natural rubber or synthetic.
Synthetic tires have improved steadily in
the last two years. he writes. However, if
bruising or under-irfation high-speed blow
outs are dangerous possibility. Under such
history CT abuse, 1t is prudent to assume
that synthetic tire rate lower than natural
rubber tires. 1t Is fair to state that the syn
thetic tire, at present, calls for more care.
The public should not lose sight of the Each
that old cars are menace to safety at high
speeds for many other reasons than possible
tire failure
In the Arizona desert this winter, and it
has been a cold winter that brought one snow
storm even in Tucson, there has been shock
ing series Of wrecks and killings, but the
causes though various, apparently have not
included an unusual number Of blow-outs. Bad
drivers would seem to have been responsible
in most cases although many Of the hulks that
rattle over the roads. often at high speeds.
would be menace to navigation in the best
of hands. Unable to replace very old cars, the
owners have to carry on but still the jail
lopies clatter over the dips and bends at
speeds and on questionable tires.
In Tucson It Is not unusual to encounter
wild drivers on the left Of the road and
campaign has been running for months
against reckless drivers and especially drunk
en- drivers against whom Is days in jail in
addition to a 500 Zine is the standard SEN
tence It has been an impartial enforcement
in which number Of prominent citizens have
taken their medicine in the county jail. But,
while more sensitive citizens doubtless have
been impressed, there has been no perceptible
in road manners generally.
General Fleming has little faith in spas
modic police campaigns and is urging in
stead, constant pressure by all the police and
he has special confidence in those former
Army MP's who were really trained for police
work and are now joining local and state
forces. He observed that 'in New York, no
pedestrian pays the slightest attention to traf-
fc lights" whereas in Houston pedestrians
obey them. But he may not know that this
habit, and its cost in lives and injuries in
New York is attributable to traffic judge
with prejudice against drivers who, for
years. insisted that the pedestrian was al
ways right
Referring to a highway safety conference
that President Truman has called to meet in
Washington in May, General Fleming recalls
that Mr. Truman as senator, presented three
bills, which passed the Senate but died in
the House, in the hope of reducing con-
tinuous slaughter comparable to the casual
ties in war. The Truman bills would have
required every driver to possess license
obtained by strict examination renewable, by
test, every three years and revocable for
cause.