OCR Text |
Show War Department Com- j pletes Plans for Great Overland Truck Con-; i voy to the Pacific. Salt Lake One of Cities on Itinerary of Spec-! tacular Journey; Start! Is Fixed for July. Ey Universal Service. WASHINGTON. June 25. The war department de-partment has completed plans for a trans continental tour of the motor transport corps under actual war conditions, starting start-ing from Washington on July 7 and proceeding along the route of the Lin-! Lin-! coin highway to San Francisco, a distance dis-tance of S030 miles. The war department will utilize two full truck companies to operate the corps. I It will consist of approximately sixty trucks, accompanied by auxiliary trucks and equipment and antiaircraft, engineer, medical, field artillery and air service units. The personnel will comprise ten officers and 2.10 men of the motor transport corps, two officers and thirty men of the engi neer corps, in addition to officers and men of the auxiliary detachment accompanying accom-panying the convoy. This is the first time that the government govern-ment has piovided a train of this character char-acter for crossing the Rockies and the Sierra Nevadas to the Pacific coast. The purposes are: PURPOSE OF TOUR SKETCHED IN OUTING. First To make an extended service or I performance test of the several standardized stand-ardized principal types of motors in the army equipment used for transportation of troops and cargoes and for other military mili-tary purposes. Second To demonstrate the government's govern-ment's good will and contribution to the good roads movement for development of construction of through routes and transcontinental trans-continental highways as a military and J economic asset. , Third To demonstrate the practicability practica-bility of long-distance motor post and 1 commercial transportation and the neces- ! slty for the judicious expenditure of federal fed-eral appropriations in providing the necessary nec-essary highways. Fourth To collect for use in the training train-ing of commissioned and enlisted personnel per-sonnel of the motor transport corps in operating truck trains, and procure recruits re-cruits for the corps and for the training schools for mecnanics which will open in September. PRESIDENT MAY START BIG CONVOY OFF. It is proposed that i'resiocnt wijson I start the convov off from Washington ; on the afternoon'of July 7 by appropriate, exercises, to be held in 'Lafayette square, ; opposite the White House. Here a monument is to be dedicated as the starting start-ing point for all national highways. Plans for this monument are now being be-ing made. "Upon its face will be engraved en-graved a map of the United States, on which the national highways are to be i etched as they are established. This j monument is to be a permanent memorial of the first big movement by the govern- j ment to support the good roads cam- palgn. A similar monument wilt be i erected at the western terminus of the j Lir.coin highway. , The convoy will first proceed to Gettys- , burg. Pa-. 'hf re it will teen follow the i Lincoln highway to California. Army of- j ficers estimate that tho tour will be made j in approximately ,-ixiy days. There will j be some sixty stops en ruute. j M'MAHAN TO BE j IN TRAIN COMMAND. I Captain Bernard McMahan will he In! ! comma:. d of the train. H is exported that Colonel A. Owen Seaman, :bs;sta n: : to the c.i:ef of motor transport f,orr. ' will accompany ti'i; tram to Chicago Hei Erh f s. 111. . and tha Uri ga d itr Generrt 1 CharU'S I;. Drake, ch.vf or" the crps, will go on fruin there w :th the train to San I Kr:m-i--co. I The train will be preceded by a private I cp.t in e Large of H. ( et errmn, v, c president of t'" e Lincoln H iL-hwn y as-n-r'ViOu h wi'l le a ;ar.:e ' L,t- i- tenant W. B- Pnron. army pmiry . ;-I ;-I f-The private rar p.-tv w;l be nre? -er.t at t:;e ed a :o:i ice r ""!.; i Tl: -tt. alt Lke Oitv. J :lv 24. T e f r'vi: rar ; ; p r e e d e the train at a ! : ; r -v n r. f (Continued on page 2, Column 5.) II MOTOR CORPS TO HEAD FOR WEST (Continued from Page One.) two to ten days, and will make preliminary prelim-inary arrangements for the reception of the train in addition to furnishing the public with necessary information regarding regard-ing its movements. GOVERNORS PLEDGE THEIR CO-OPERATION. Assurance.1 of full cooperation have been received by the war department from the governors of the states through which the convoy will pass. The highways are being be-ing prepared In advance so as to expedite the transit of the expedition. The war department plans to preserve intact the entire convoy throughout the tour. 3t will be self-sustaining, so that it will not have to depend in any way upon external assistance except for operating op-erating supplies, such as gasoline, oil and water. All repairs, adjustments or replacements replace-ments will be accomplished by the maintenance main-tenance personnel which will constitute part of the convoy personnel. Sufficient engineer personnel and equipment equip-ment will accompany the convoy to perform per-form necessary military field engineering. Messing will be in accordance with service ser-vice conditions. Service conditions will be simulated also in regard to the headquarters head-quarters for the personnel. Route of Convoy. Communication by telegraph and by mail will be maintained en route and weather observations taken. Experts from various branches of the army will make detailed reports regarding aerial mail routes, and the transportation of guns and material from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The convoy will pass through the following fol-lowing cities: "Washington, p. C. ; Frederick, Md.; Gettysburg, Greensburg, Pittsburg, Pa.; Canton, Wooster, Bucyrus and Delphus, Ohio; Fort Wayne, South Bend, Ind.; Chicago Chi-cago Heights, Dekalb and Clinton, 111.; Cedar Rapids, Marsha 11 town, Jefferson, Dennison and Council Bluffs, la.; Omaha, Columbus, Grand Island, Kearney, Lexington, Lex-ington, North Platte and Kimball, Neb.; Cheyenne, Laramie, Medicine Bow, Rawlins, Raw-lins, Tipton Station, Green River, Fort Bridger and Fjvanston, Wyo. : Salt Lake City and Orr's Ranch, Utah; Ely, Eureka, Austin, "West Gate, Fallon and Carson, Nev. ; JMacervllle, Sacramento. Stockton, Oakland and San Francisco, Cal. |