Alter-the-War Subsidy Models.
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A Forecast of Probable Detail Modifications which May Be Embodied in Governmenb-chassis Design When Peace Conditions Again Exist.
Amongst the many communications which we are, with such remarkable regularity, receiving from our various special correspondents at the Front, probably none has equalled in interest, at any rate so far as the actual members of the industry itself are concerned, that which we publish in the present issue, and which discusses, with considerable perspicuity, some of the probable mechanical developments which will ensue as the result of the unparalleled use of commercial-motor vehicles in the present war. These great commercial-vehicle trials have set the final seal of satisfaction upon the commercial-motor vehicle, as much in its role as part of our military equipment as in that as an integral portion of our everyday industrial life. These Great Trials have had many more effects than that of developing the Army lorry.
We wonder if it is adequately realized that, in addition to the contingents of volunteers from the industrial-vehicle world itself, all these supply columns, ammunition parks and many other special units have drawn for their personnel to a very large extent upon the ranks of those who, before August of last year, were engaged in one or, other branches of the pleasure-car trade. As a matter of fact, it is by no means improbable that the larger proportion at any rate of the men who applied for commissions in the A.S.C., M.T., were drawn from those branches of the motorvehicle industry which it was soon evident would suffer considerably as the result of war conditions. All these men will come back confirmed commercialvehicle enthusiasts, and not a few of them as experts. These latter will have well earned their title in view of the extraordinary circumstances under which they have been responsible for the maintenance and running of columns and convoys of heavy motor vehicles.
We at home here, were it not for the information which we as a journal are happily able constantly to accumulate from all sources with regard to the progress of the whole movement at the Front, would be very much in the dark as to how far what were the accepted types of subsidy models before the war, to say nothing of the more-ordinary models of industrial patterns, have " filled the bill" in France and Belgium. We, of course, do not find it expedient to publish more than a tithe of the information which regularly and in great quantities comes to our hands, and it will require very little imagination on the part of our readers for them to realize that we have indirectly benefited to a very valuable extent. by the intimate and exhaustive correspondence which has grown up, in almost overwhelming manner, as between ourselves and the responsible officials in the area of operations, in connection with our" Campaign Comforts" Fund. Obviously, much that reaches us is of a condemnatory character. Those who suffer from continual breakdowns of certain kinds, from failures time after time of certain parts, and from chassis weaknesses hitherto undisclosed, naturally find more consolation in unburdening themselves as to their troubles than by writing appreciatively of their successes. Nevertheless, the latter side of the question Li by no means neglected by our friends on active service. The consequence is that we are compiling for our own information, and are carefully analysing as time goes on, the vast mass of technical data to which addition is constantly being made.
With regard to the article which appears on pages 461-463 of the present issue, this is from the pen of a trained engineer with no axe to grind—a most important Doint ; he has accurate knowledge of com
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mercial-vehicle requirements. Of course, his despatch only expresses his individual opinions. We do rot in some respects agree with his conclusions. Nevertheless, they are interesting, and must not be lightly disregarded. He informs us that he has discussed some of these questions with many of his colleagues on active service, and his opinions have been modified in certain cases accordingly. We have not the space at our disposal at present to criticise in detail all his recommendations, and, of course, there is much room for discussion and argument on the basis of this one letter, . We shall not arrive at the new subsidy model without keen discussion and great interchange of views. That, however, we can postpone until the day." We will content ourselves with pointing out a typical subject for argument. Our correspondent writes as follows :—" As regards worm v. bevel drive, the worm type is, I believe, the more suitable, as it allows rather more back-axle ground clearance for the same gear reduction." That is an instance of one point on which we should join issue with this particular correspondent. This raises a question of design which is debatable. In the matter of clearance, we believe it is correct to state that the advantage is with a properly-schemed doable-reduction back axle.
As time goes on, it will be interesting and possible to attempt to visualize the constructional alterations which will inevitably follow the re-constitution of our Army-transport units when the war is over. Such modifications will certainly have their reflection in the design of purely-commercial models, but we anticipate that the Army will require for its special and continuous use a type of machine which will be even more distinctive than is the present accepted subsidy
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We who remain at home shall all do well to assimilate, as well as we can, the carefully-compiled conclusions of "the men on the spot," so far as we are able to make them available. Much of the information which is coming to hand we shall be able to present to our readers as time goes on in carefully-extracted form. Our Overseas organization is, for various reasons, unique. Our readers will continue to get the benefit of it. This war means so much to our industry that the latter's more normal branches for the time fade into insignificance in comparison—and should be allOwed to do so if we are to learn and employ all that there is to learn in France and Belgium.