MAY 1ST, 1909.
THE AUTOCAR B Journal publrnbeb in tbe interests of tbe mccbanicall\? propellcb roab carriage.
EDITED BY H . WALTER STANER.
i'!o. 706. VoL. XXII .J
SATURDAY, MAY IST, 1909.
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The Autocar.
(Published Weekly. )
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CONTENTS. NOTES COUNTY VERSUS BOROUGH AIR COOLING-A TRAPPED PETROL FtLTER!NG TUN DISH • • USEl'UL HINTS AND TIPS {ILLUSTRATED)
PAGE. . . 6or-602
6oz 603
.J....A. SIGNS IN LANCASHIRE ( ILLUSTRATED)-THE ROADS IMPROVE•
MENT ASSOCIATION
605
THE YORKSHIRE AuTO~IOBtLISATION ( ILLUSTRATED)
. . 606-6o9
Is PARAFFIN A SAFER FuEL THAN PETROL ?-ANOTH ER SL1 oE
VALVE ENGINE (ILLU TRATED)-1-.looo SEPARATORS (lLLUS.) 609 THE PECULIAR REQUIREMENTS OF PECULIAR COUNTRIES . . • • 610-611 A LIGHT-WEI GHT ENGi:-.£ (ILLUSTRATED) • . 6II AERONAUTICS . . 612 -613 THE LOCK-IT SCREEN (ILLU~TRATED).. 6 14 MOTOR UNION NOTES • . AN AMERICAN GUDGEON PIN ATTACHM ENT (ILLUSTRATED)-
SPEED LIMIT 1 NQUIRIES- Soc1ETY OF ~:loTOR MANU FACTURERS
616
ON THE ROAD
MILITARY MOTOR ExERCISFS • .
. • 617 -61f
618
CORRESPONDENCE..
ON THE TRACK
THE MOTOR UNION GENERAL MEETING r\ lY RUSSIAN EXPERIENCE',, BY CHARLES J ARROTT FLASHES CLUB DOINGS
. . 6~3-626
627
628 . . 629-630 . . 631-632 . . 633-634
A PRESENTATION FUNCTION {)LL UST RATEDJ-A CONTINENTAL
COMPETITJON-!RISH RELIABIL ITY TRIALS-A H ORN BULB PROTECTOR ( ILL USTRATED)
~E~=nuo~=n..
635
~
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Abroad (thin paper edition), 22s. 8d. per annum.
( d,x fo Adae,<i•;:~;~~,. O" page 3 4.
Automobilisation. An able article from the pen of that ,rell-knOlrn French writer, lvlonsieur E. B. Clau, written ,rith the result of the Hastings experiment fresh in his mind , appears in the columns of Omnici of J 7th April. The simple fact that M. Clau has thought well to urge the object lesson of th e Hastings automobilisation upon the French Government is sufficient answer to the hypercritical quidnuncs " ·ho, lacking imagination, poured out the ,·ia ls of their petty scorn upon the head of the Automobile Associa[ion and its members who showed themselves to possess esprit de corps an I patriotism when asked to aid in carrying out Colon el Bosworth's excell ent idea . The perusal of M. Clau's article will cause the reader to as k if the practice of automobilisation is to remain ,,-he re the success of the H a stings scheme le ft it, or whether our Government should not proceed furthe r on th e lines suggested to til e French authorities by th e abo\'e named writer. H e urges experiment upon a much bigger scale, and he shows most conclusive ly how the motor transport of troops on an emergency can come to the aid of the raihray , and, indeed, serve most efficientlv where rai ls do not run. It is not probab le that an enemy ,rnuld select the sea rail-head of any of our railway systems for a descent upon our r·oast·. but there is hardly a practicable landing point any,rhe re on the e longated coast line of th ese realm s which cannot be attained by a converging n t,York of roads. If automobilisation is to prove of any avail, and that it would prove in va luable M. Cla u has already shown, it would be puerile, nay criminal, to ,rait for the moment and the day of national need. The whole organisation of the carriage of troops by self-propelled vehicles must, and should, be organised at once and kept in working order. Steps should be taken to earmark and registe r eve ry suitable motor vehicle in this country, and every owner should know when and how to render himself and his car or other vehicle upon receipt of a telegram. With th e la rge number of motor vehicles avai lable in this country, it would be possible to rapidly concentrate motor 1·e hicles upon al l centres where troops are stationed , the troops and the motor car drivers knowing exact ly what to do upon the command to" encar. '' Car 0 11·ners should not, of course, be expected to keep the:nselves and their vehicles ready at the bidding of the authorities without some consideration. An annual subsidy shou ld be paid in consideration of an undertaking to place man and car open for service. Two or three times a year the volunteer motor transport service should be ca ll ed upon to take part in the transport of troops from remote parts of the country to points at which our Intelligence Department, if we have any , believe a descent would be made. The centralisation of our great railway systems upon big centres is similar to that which obtains in France, and to which M. Clau has so pointedly drawn attention. To travel due east from any westerly point would require much rail wandering and changing, with loss of time, when time might, and doubtless would, mean the salvation of the empire. What M . Clau has urged upon the French a "thorities we no1r most earnestly urge---as, indeed, we hal'e Jone before-upon our 011",1 peopl e . The alac rity with which th e members of the Automobile Association sprang to the call of their own body would be common to all motorists throughout the country if the Government would tak e up the matter in earnest and put our house in order. Such conditions obtain to-day that no time should be lost in organising a scheme, which under easi ly conceived circumstances might mean all the difference between repulsion and disaster. vVe do not confess to e ,·e n the slightest leaning tmrards jingoism, but we believe that the best guarantee of peace is preparedness for war.
