Our Despatches from the Front (No. SO).
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Only Steamers Left in French Civilian Service. French Army Well Supplied with Both Cars and Lorries. American Hoods.
These mc.ssages from Our Own Special Correspondents have been submitted to and censored by The Press Bureau, which does not object to their publicatron but takcs no responsibility for the correctness of the statements contoured therein.—ED.
1111111NEINI Paris,
Ell March, 1915.
Impressment in France.
The mechanical transport difficulties Of English firms are slight compared with those of French houses. Mobilization quickly I snapped up several thousands of 'two-ton and three-ton subsidy type lorries in service in France, and the war was not many days old before every other motor vehicle built for carrying goods had also gone into army service. There was such a demand for lorries that practically everything on wheels was impressed, many old types which were altogether unfit for a campaign being put at the disposal of the, army :P.and sent to the Front. Some of these old types fell by the roadside and remained •where they stopped. Others returned to army depots, from which they have now been removed in the form of scrap iron,
Only Purrey Steamers Left.
During the last few months I have been on the lookout for a commercial motor which was not in army service or used by some firm working on army contracts. All I have been able to find are a few Purrey steamers carrying rolls of paper from the mills outside Paris to the daily newspaper offices in the city. Stowed away in some deserted builder's yard, or in the corner of a dusty garage, I have come across a few parcelears and old time light delivery vans belonging. to firms carrying on a de luxe business and now.closed for lack of staff or customers or both.
Delivery-van Troubles in Paris.
The big department stores are hard pressed. In times of peace they employed big fleets of motor delivery vans carrying from halfton to ono-and-a-half-ton loads. All these have been requisitioned, and as business has now assumed a .!fairly strong position, suburban deliveries have to be asaured in some manner. Some of the more :important stores, such as the Bon Marche, Galeries Lafayette, Prin. temps, etc., formerly having ex cellent motor services, have now been reduced to the second-hand field', and have bought up motorvans of an uncertain age, on the panels of which the name of the company has been pasted. In a few eases taxicabs have been hired, for although the twin-cylinder type
n44 common to Paris has been made use of in the war, it is not suitable for regular army service. I noticed the other day that one drapery firm was making use of private cars for parcel delivery work in the suburbs.
Impressment Risks Delay Purchases.
It is certain that this condition of affairs will continue until the end of hostilities, for even if the delivery of new motorvans could be assured, it is doubtful if orders would be placed while there is a passibility of the, army swooping down and impressing the vehicles at 20 less than the purchase
price. Everything is of a makeshift nature, but as this makeshift applies equally throughout France, no firm has an advantage over any other, and the public is well aware that inconvenience inevitable.
No More Touring-car Impress. men ts.
There is no further tendency to impress private cars for light convoy service in the army. Although working under some difficulties, so far as the supply of material is concerned, the French motorcar factories have been able to fill important contracts for the Army, with the result that the touring-car fleet is strong, as well as that fleet of light motor vehicles for ambulance work, the removal of troops, searchlights, wireless telegraphy, postal arrangements, etc. -Nevertheless, a very strong hand is being kept on the owners of private ears. No person can use a private car without a special military permit, this pass being for a very restricted area, and never issued for more than a fortnight ; in most?cases it has to be renewed every week. In this way it is possible for the authorities to place their hands on the cars at very short notice, and it is practically impossible for a civilian to hide a ear or get it out of the control of the authorities.
Ample French Army Lorries.
Judging from the conditions in the important military depots, the French motor-lorry fleet was never stronger or in better condition than at the present moment. In a certain town which shall be nameless, I discovered a few days ago between five and six hundred motor lorries of the two and threeton types. They were parked in a
magnificent four-track avenue of such width that this fleet, lined_ up in four rows, did not at all interfere with the tramway service, an4 left enough room in the middle of the avenue for at least five vehicles to run abreast.
A Great Fleet of Stars.
The fleet was composed of White two-tonners, which formed the majority, of Paekards, PierceArrow, Jeffery, and Kelly trucks from America, of a very large number of Star lorries, these, by the by, being the only English vehicles 1 have seen in the French Army, and by smaller numbers of Renault, Panhard, Peugeot and other French makes. Two days later, when that same depot was visited, the stock had been reduced to about one hundred vehicles, the others having gone on active service at the Front. However, more were coming in to be examined and equipped for service in the field. Two months earlier that depot had contained, in addition to brand new lorries, a considerable quantity of junk. But now the junk had gone — where, it is impossible to say—
and its place had been taken by sound vehicles fit and ready for the most exacting service.
Modified American Hoods.
Before the American trucks go into active service in the French Army they are slightly modified at this central depot. In every case the trucks are supplied fitted with •a canvas hood on hoops extending sufficiently forward to protect the 'driver. This is not found satisfactory. Either a partition is put up just to the back of the driver, or independent hoods are made for the driver and his mate. Being simpler, the former plan is more often adopted. With a one-piece hood the driver has a certain amount of protection from wind and rain, but he is practically in the position of a man standing in the mouth of a narrow alley down which a gale of windkis blowing. Generalli the American hoops are lacking in rigidity ; thus they are strengthened by nailing three or four longitudinal wood members to them along each side. It his long been the French idea to have sufficient rigidity in the hoops that stretchers could be suspended from them. This is done in the regular French subsidy types, the hoops being fitted with rings -to r6eeive the stretcher hooks, although it does not appear that a very great use has been made of them for this work. The American hoops are too light, however, -even when strengthened, to allow of any load being carried from them.
Arranged for Carrying Troops.
Much more importance app6ars to be attached at the present time to the use of lorries for carrying able-bodied soldiers. • 'All the lorries going to the Front are fitted with a couple of fore and aft seats, each one being a few inches from the centre line of the vehicle, so that 20 to 24 men can be carried back to back. This arrangement places the load in the most central position, and gives the greatest comfort to the men, for they have ample room at their feet for placing rifles and kit. The seats are all temporary and are made to be taken out and attached to the side of the body, where they will not interfere with the carrying of .an ordinary load of supplies or ammunition_ The fact that these trucks are to be used for the conveyance of troops is another reason why the front should be closed, otherwise the men have to travel in a strong draught, and perhaps in a cloud of dust.
It is obvious that no change can be made in the mechanical features of the American trucks for the French Army. Indeed, the French War Office has never sought to tie manufacturers down to one particular type, but has laid down general lines and given full latitude as to technical details.