Out and Home Alter Two Months. Use To I3 Use To I3 r Horses. y "The ExtractorThe Silent Sentinel.
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From SAlesman to A.S.C. Lieutenant.
"It's a funny game ; I've been working 17 hours a day since I went out and I.never felt so fit: what a difference to selling motors, but I've never really lived till now it is a. great life." These wee practically the precise words uttered to me by a friend who is home for a• spell, and who unknowingly possessed the real instinct for soldiering and who has dropped into it like falling off a log. Here was I talking to a man in the evening in London who had that selfsame morning been close to the fighting lines, with the rattle of the guns still ringing in his ears. That morning eathe a summons from the War Office and he was reporting himself next day.
Not two months ago, my friend, quite new to soldiering, was given a commission, put in charge of several lorries, packed off to Avonmouth, and on the second day out he received his second star, so now he is a full-blown lieutenant. His job, when over in France, proved to be the transporting of ammunition from "Railhead up to rendezvous," and in the case of the anti-aircraft guns right up to the machines themselves. A tremendous help to him was his complete knowledge of French, so that he has been left entirely to his own resources, and in complete charge
of men and lorries. No superior officer to confer with, nothing but the book of Army regulations, which he studied for three hours a night, and settled difficult cases accordingly, throwing, I guarantee, much horse sense into the process. He had everything to do for his men including doctoring ; he was able to make quite adequate arrangements for hot baths for them, mostly Indians by-the-by, but the love of baths is not ingrained in them. I gleaned that when, through neglect, or no opportunity, they became verminous, a bath with paraffin in it is resorted to and the whole kit destroyed.
His tale of experiences of billeting amongst the French people was delightful. They cannot do enough for our men, the feeling apparently being that they hope someone else is only doing the same for their sons.
Six weeks of war time has worked wonders with this erstwhile motor salesman ; he has completely found himself and enjoyed every moment of the transmogrification. He is recalled, I believe, now, to be offered even more important duties with, I hope, its accompanying promotion.
Shop Talk at the Front.
The lorries in use over in France are subjected to stresses and strains which were never calculated for by the designers ; drivers are beginning to know almost to an hour or two how long such and such a back axle will last, and naturally the various tires which stand best come up for judgment. It is certain that motors were never put to such a test. The potholes in the roads, the speed attained, and all the rest of it make for a gruelling hitherto undreamt of—each make has its champions, fierce and long are the discussions as to their merits and demerits. In this connection I have a letter from a perfectly independent motor engineer, who used to work under my supervision some years ago. He enlightened me as to his health and the progress he is making, etc., etc. ; then he goes on to say that his convoy is composed of several well-known makes of lorries including the Thornycroft, which make, in his opinion, is proving "the best for the job." [As it happens, our "Despatches from the Front," in this issue, contain much that is of interest concerning tire behaviour on active service, by one of our special correspondents. — ED. a
He was an enthusiastic Sentinel salesman who described his wagon as the "Rolls-Royce of the steamvehicle world," and most probably he believed it.
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Anyhow he secured the order. A good designation of this wagon is the Silent Sentinel and particularly now that rubber tires are being so much used on Steamers. I was astonished and very pleased to learn in a conversation with Mr. S. E. Alley at Glasgow recently that 90 per cent, of their wagon deliveries are now rubber shod. He assured me purchasers are saving money all the time by specifying rubber tires ; the mileage is, of course, greater and the repair bill vanishes to nothing. Users are finding out the many advantages of steam, the cheapness of running being extraordinary.
0:la Podrida.
An express horse-bus from Swiss Cottage to th3 Bank, charge sixpence on the lines of 25 years ago, was tried again recently. I saw three passengers out
side and one in. Mr. Charles Jarrott is -over in Paris selling motor vehicles and other war commodities tothe French Government, which is, of course, now again estab lished in the Capital.
Horses killed in battle are skinned because their hides may be needed for leather. Soldiers become used to everything, but they say this is a very ugly sight. Thousands of gloves which our Comfort3
Fund is sending are of horse-skin.
With great regret I hear, as I write, that Mr. R. liockemuhl, the British representative of the Peter Union Tyre Co., Ltd., died on Thursday last, having developed pneumonia. The cremation -took place at Golder's Green Crematorium on Monday the 1st
February.