WAR MOTOR TRAFFIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 December 1939, Page 3

WAR MOTOR TRAFFIC

WILL ROADS STAND IT? The news that the British Expeditionary Force in France has taken with it 25,000 motor vehicles and some 15,000 tons of petrol, conveys an idea of the huge part automobiles and mechanised units are going to play in the war. The report that trains were very little used to convey the British Corps across France to the Western Front — most of the troops travelling in motor vehicles, which streamed along the roads for days—further emphasises the advantages accruing from mobile transport and good highways. A momentous matter for France and Britain is how the French roads are going to withstand the enormous traffic that they will have to carry during hostilities. Germany has spent millions of pounds on constructing special motor roads during the last few years, a policy that will now provide means for rapid movement of German troops and mechanised units.

As regards automobiles, Britain and France between them have available over 1.10i).000 commercial motor vehicles. including tens of thousands of splendid ’buses, as against Germany’;; 382,000 commercial vehicles and only about one-third of the motor ’buses available to the Allies. In passenger cars. Britain and France are also much better supplied, conjointly having 3,666,000 of these vehicles as against Germany’s 1.30G.000.

As regards petrol and fuel oil. the Allies have unlimited supplies available. while Germany will have to husband her supplies to meet military needs. I! will thus be seen that Britain and France arc much better off as regards two essentials to eventual success, a preponderance of. automobiles and motorised units and unlimited liquid fuel.