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Show I MOBILIZATION OF THE I AUTO POWER OF I THE NATION WASHINGTON, D. C , March 17. "Mobilization on the high speed includes in-cludes the very promptest assembling of the individual units in each state H at the concentration camps," asserts H Chairman John A, Wilson of the mil itary preparedness committee of the American Automobile association, -who has been spending much of his time Upccntly in the national capital and Is in touch vlth various phases of "mak-' ing ready." "The answer as to how the organized orga-nized motorists of the country can do! their part in the plans now being for-! I mulated for defense," continued Mr. Wilson, "would seem to lie partial-1 larly in the direction of transportation. transporta-tion. From all over the country have come repeated offers from A. A. A. clubs and members to count upon them in any preparatory program into which they would logically fit. Naturally Nat-urally we have been and will continue to be vitally concerned in roads improvement, im-provement, and, of course, wc appreciate appre-ciate thoroughly that any comprehensive comprehen-sive defense scheme must include substantial sub-stantial attention to highways, in connecting con-necting up main arteries and providing provid-ing for coastal and border avenues of communication. I have asked Presi-den Presi-den H. M. Rowe of the national body to add to the military preparedness committee not only Chairman George C. Dlehl of the good roads board, but all members of the executive board, as these men are scattered over the country and can assume much of the work in their respective vicinities. "It appeals to us that there are two definite ways in which the motor car owners can be exceedingly valuable. One of them is in connection with mobilization mo-bilization effectiveness, especially of the minute-men sort In every state there are now more than enough passenger pas-senger automobiles vhich could be made systematically aailuble in carrying car-rying to state camps Ihose nun who j could not be provided for conven- ! tently by railroad transportation. I Those states which have gone forward in highways betterment would particularly partic-ularly lend themselves to the carrying out of such a plan, which probably would include county arrangement and appointment of officers responsible for the details and ihe apportioning of specified cars to certain enlisted 1 men. "Once the troops were assembled. 1 then would come the necessity for j longer periods of service, and undoubt-! undoubt-! edly there would be plenty of motor-driven motor-driven vehicles available under an en-llistment en-llistment project on which the war col-li col-li has been at work for some time. "In the army appropriation act. approved ap-proved by congress, among the duties Kien to the council of national defense de-fense is set forth the 'co-ordination of military, industrial and commercial purposes in the location of extensivo highways and branches of railroads " Not long since the A. A. A. good roads board, which had much to do with the passage of tho federal aid road act, called the attention of the secretary of war to the great valuo of a southwestern south-western frontier highway in tho effective ef-fective handling of troops and munitions. muni-tions. The communication was referred re-ferred to the council of national defense, de-fense, which is now about to give Its thought to the essential matter of good roads in tho furtherance of its work. In connection with the southwest south-west it might be said that Texas receives re-ceives more money than any other commonwealth from the federal act, and New Mexico, Arizona and Callfor-, Callfor-, nia, reti. ive large sums." |