Enemy Pars.
Page 11
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Culled from German and Austrian Newspapers which come into Our Hands, as well as from Other Available Sources, the News of the Industry in Enemy Lands on this page will have a Particular Interest for Our Readers.
Rather Late in the Day.
A Campaign Comforts Fund has been opened in Berlin for the members of the German Motor Transport on service.
A New Substitute for Rubber!
From a Dutch correspondent:— The secret of Germany's tire supply has at last been fathomed. A Russian soldier was found to have been inn over by a captured Ger
1M111 motorcar. The tire of the Cal clearly showed that a piece of tire had been torn out of the cover. On close examination it. was found that the Russian soldier had the missing piece: of tire between his teeth ; this proved to be made of " caramel."
Feld kraft wagenaktiengesellschaft.
The number of touring and commercial vehicles which haVe been acquired by the German army during the war is of course enormous.
i he end of hostilities therefore tee -s of thousand of these will be released. As the army _authorities themselves Will be unable to deal with all these vqhieles directly it was, as we have already announced, decided .to form a company to undertake the task of selling and distributing such machines.
The title of the company is the Foldkraft wagenaktiengesellschaft, with offices at Unter-den-Linden, Berlin. The company will be under the direct supervision of the Prussian and Bavarian army authorities. A committee will be :foilned consisting of one officer; one army engineer, and one representative of the company.
The net profits of the company will go to the State who will be responeibie for the cost of the operations of the company. The object, of course, will be to give preference in respect of purchase to those firms which hadto sell their vehicles to the army authorities at the beginthug of the war, often at a loss. Those users also who have taken some marked part in the war will have some advantages over other likely buyers. It is pointed out that providing these vehicles are sold at moderate prices it will give Germany an opnortunity of keeping close 1.03 with the motor movemerits in England, France, and America. In this way only will it he possible to stop the influx of American vehicles-suCh as has happened in Great Britain. Even the oldest vehicles can be turned in for various purposes. Many an old 60
or 90 lep. car is now doing splendid work in pulling loads of wood or potatoes in some distant country.
A New Aktiengesellschaft.
A company has been formed in Germany which underta.kes nothing but the thorough washing of motor vehicles. After a long day at the wheel the driver who has to do his own cleaning is apt. to overlook a most essential part for keeping a vehicle in thoroughly good repair. The company receives the vehicle in the evening, and it is then put. through the bands of experienced washers and cleaners, each man being detailed to look -after some one particular part. The next morning the driver calls for his vehicle, which he finds in. spotless condition.
Motor Ploughs in East Prussia.
Owing to the devastation in East Prussia and especially in the suffering frontier radius, great efforts have been made to resume the ordinary course of agriculture there by the sending of large numbers of motor ploughs to these districts. One hundred and twenty-three motor ploughs and 12 steam ones have been bought already for permanent service in the districts, while the military authorities are reported to have sent 29 motor ploughs served by soldiers for temporAry work in those districts to which refugeeshave not yet returned.
Petrol Export from Roumania.
The following list shows the export of petrol from Roumania during 1912 and 1913.
Count Tons.
ly. Tons.
England 214,060 233,000 France ... 139,000 151,000 Germany ... 84,000 126,000
Egypt ... 102,000 122,000 Italy ... . ... 26,000 119,000 The tremendous jump in the Italian figures are on account of the war with Turkey.
The Roumanian export of petroleum in 1912 was valued at 00 million francs ; in 1913 it amounted to100 million. The crude oil exported during 1912 was 1,807,000 tons compared with 1,883,000 tons in 1913.
Proposed "Once and for All Duties.
Endless discussion is taking place in Germany as to the best way of helping the motor industry in thatcountry after the war. One of the latest proposals is that the duty on an automobile should be Paid once and for all when it is purchased, and suggesting that if these are sufficiently heavy this would. bring in adequate revenue in the "first difficult days after the war," although there would be a falling off of income at. a later date -perhaps. Second-hand cars would not be liable, and this would he particularly, useful, it is claimed, in re spect the disposal of war-worn chassis. Count Tons.