2 Willys-Overland Gigantic War Program Completed Contributed to Victory Curtis Airplanes, Liberty and Sun- j beam Motors, Gun Carriages, Eight-Inch Shells, Adapters and Lifting Plugs Almost since the very inception of the automobile industry John X. Willys, the directing head of Willys- Overland, Inc., has been looked upon as one of its great leaders. The aame business determination and foresight he displayed in the early days were again shown when the United States decided to intercede in the Interest of right and justice. Back in 1909 Mr. Willys was so confident of the coming possibilities •f the automobile as a necessary unit ef rapid personal .transportation that, in spite of efforts of his friends to dissuade him. he purchased the prop erty of the Pope-Toledo plants, and on that foundation has built up the great Willys-Overland organization, with its factories, branches and dis tributing representatives comprising the second largest automobile con cern in the world. When the war clouds began to loom Willys soon justified the reputation for courage he had won in the au tomobile industry by adding the du ties as controlling head of the Curtis Aeroplane Company. Immediately upon our entrance into the war he began developing the great Curtis plant in co-ordination with the Wil lys-Overland plants to by ready for the heavy requirements which he be lieved the war would impose. At this time Willys had not a single order from th e United States Gov ernment. But when orders did come he was prepared to deliver materials in a remarkably short time. To do this required new buildings and equipment representing an enormous expenditure, which at the time was based on no tangible equipment or order. But in the light of future de velopments the correctness of Wil lys's foresight has again been proved. At the signing of the armistice, nineteen months and five days after the declaration of war, Willys-Over- I land were engaged in rapidly com pleting contracts amounting to $BO,- 000,009, requiring almost 100 per cent, of their production capacity. The contracts for the United States end allied governments included Cur tiss training plane motors. French 75 millimeter gun carriages, 8-inch shells, Liberty 8 and 12 cylinder mo tors. adapters lifting plugs, Sunbeam airplane motors. Willys-Overland's first contract for training plane motors was received September 19, 1917. Advance prepara tions enabled them to get in produc tion so quickly that in epite of changes necessitated by the Govern ment's requirements they were able by March to deliver 835 motors, and from that time on deliveries were made in amounts only limited by the Government's instructions. By the middle of December, 1917, Willys-Overland was centering its energies on war supplies on a huge scale. The accomplishments of the Wil lys-Overland Company In the war program are the more interesting in "j [ ABpersdi Anniversary ■ Tp O -J] \A * - . ■" ■ ' I THE EIGHT WITH EIGHTY LESS PARTS I Each year there appears a car that Q , I stands out in bold relief because of I ijcc lllc some distinct innovation in construc -4 tion or design. Apperson This year all eyes are focused on the At the Show new Apperson Anniversary Eight. It is unapproached in mechanical excellence and artistic elegance. KEYSTONE SALES CO. I 108 Market St. Central Pennsylvania Distributors SATURDAY EVENING. consideration of the fact that more than 5,500 men. comprising a high per cent, of skilled mechanics had been called into the army. The only way this could be overcome was by the great number of patriotic women, many of whom had members of their families at the front, who offered their services to make up the de pleted supply. Willys-Overland official quota of cars for 1918 was completed on No vember 1. And besides, in spite of the many obstacles encountered in erecting new building, changing over old equipment. Involving preliminary expenditure of more tiian 812,000,000 in spite °f th e problems of getting into new production requiring entire ly different processes, in the short period of the war, the Willys-Over land had concluded approximately 41 per cent, of its war contracts when the armistice was signed. This ability tq quickly take on new production and as quickly supply ma terials in great quantities has been characteristic of American industry during the war period. Mr. Willys predicts a return to a huge produc tion of automobiles as rapidly as la bor and material conditions will per mit. Even now, barely two months after the armistic was signed, the company is turning out the Model 90 series at a rate which soon will reach 300 cars a day. C. C. High Now Selling Stephens Salient Six A familiar face amongst Auto mobile circles, but offering a differ ent product than here-to-fore, will be found at the Auto Show in the person of C. O. High who has just recently accepted a position on the selling force of J. S. Sible, Jr., who is the local distributor for the Stephens Salient Six. Mr. High is well known in this vicinity having been connected with automobile firms for a number of years. Mr. High's experience is by no means limited, lie has served aprentencesliip in both cars and ac cessories and is fully capable of sell ing as high class proposition as the Stephens. HE NEW STEPHENS SALIENT-SIX THE NEW STUDEBAKER SALESROOMS AT THIRD AND REILY STS. SB : . •• zfr . -Bp HB mf jBI I jftM®? ' BUI JB-• -■* s£■.. ' ; '?■•-■: *>s*&■■ PEERLESS WINS RECOGNITION Is Cited Abroad as Example of American (ienius That the Peerless Eight to-day is held in the same high regard in foreign fields that certain superior makes of foreign cars are held in nnmber of inquiries received by the manufacturers front abroad since the signing of the armistice. Officials of the Peerless Motor Car Company attribute this new recogni tion of Peerless merit to the make's HARRIBBURO TELEGRAPH remarkable war achievements. Throughout the great conflict the Peerless trucks in particular dem onstrated their capabilities by ac tual performances under unprece . dented conditions. So efficient was their work that it naturally came to the attention of thousands connected with the allied I forces. Ten thousand trucks in the service of the British armies were I credited in numerous indorsements ! with having outworked and outlived 1 all other like vehicles of war in use. | As a result of these facts the Peer | less has gained such foreign recogni- I tion as has never before been aecord ied by any American-built car. It has come to be regarded as an ex ■ ample of superior American manu facturing genius. ! What recently has become recog ! nized universally abroad has been i known in America for many years. | Since its inception, the Peerless Mo tor Car Company has occupied a ' place of distinction in the automo bile industry. In the early days its engineers were responsible for many ! innovations in engineering construc ! tion. and as the industry had pro gressed they have contributed from time to time certain features which 1 have tended to revolutionize the ■ building of cars. ! Resales of this car recorded from year to year testify to the esteem in which it is held by the public. Mo torists who purchased some of the first models produced have followed the Peerless in its great forward strides, showing their faith in Peer less engineering by buying as they were marketed new models in which were embodied new ideas. This faith gradually has been en gendered, through satisfied owners and by demonstrations of sendee, into the public-at-large. WAR RECORD OF NASH AN HONOR jCompany Made Trucks Fori Army; President in Charge of Aircraft The war taught the American peo ple many things they did not know about themselves. It taught them how much they loved their country way down inside. It taught them how much they could do and how readity they could get along with out some of the things they con sidered necessities when their flag was in danger. American business may well* be proud of the part it played in win ning the war, and among the indus tries at the very top of the list of those which helped is the automo bile business. Unquestionably all ! manufacturers of motor cars did I their best —as did every other man | ufacturer with hardly an exception. ! The part played by the Nash Motors Company, of Kenosha, added no small quota to the stupendous amount of war work done by this third largest industry in America. The huge Nash plant at Kenosha turned out many trucks during the period of the war for military pur poses, not to mention the Nash pas senger cars supplied the navy and Marine Corps. In fact, long before the United States entered the war the Nash Quads were carrying on up and dewn the western front in use by the different armies of the Allies. In all kinds of weather, over the poorest of muddy roads, across t'-ackless miles of shell-torn fields, loaded with everything from sol diers and "chow" to heavy muni tions, or pulling behind them huge guns, the; e Quads were doing their part. Finally, when Uncle Sam lost his patience, rolled up his sleeves and waded in, the Nash Quad waded in with him. Immediately the entire plant was placed at the disposal of the War Department—more than 100 acres, over 4,000 tgained motor car builders, the engineering staff, the entire force was at the serv ice, in whole or in part, of the gov ernment to use as it saw fit. Huge cor tracts were placed with the Nash Motors Company by the government and the Nash Motors Company' niade good on each con tract. aelixering Quads on the sched ule time called for by the govern ment. Nash Quads made good wherever they were put under most difficult conditions. So much so in fact that no less than three other plants were engaged to btitid them. Next, and most important, C. W. Nash, president of the Nash Motors Company, one of the leaders in quantity production in the United States, at the urgent request of the government, closed his desk in Ke nosha at the time of the reorganiza tion of the aircraft board, and took charge of engineering and produc tion of aircraft from them until the signing of the armistice on Novem ber 11. Although the armistice prevented an actual demonstration of the win ning of the struggle in the air, it re mains a fact, nevertheless, that the airplane force of America would have smothered the German armies had the war continued. When it comes to employes ac tually in the military service of the country, Nash Motors again ranks high. Five hundred and sixty-two men from the factory at Kenosha were in the various military forces during the war. Of these eight were commissioned officers and 554 were enlisted men. In short, the part the Nash or ganization played in the work of winning the war added much to the success of our victorious armies, al though it is merely an example of the way the entire automobile indus try, when the call came, dropped immediately all peace time plans and strained every effort to help the cause. "Proud as we are of the help our organization was able to give to the government." says Mr. Nash, "I wish to emphasize the fact that only by the conscientious and able efforts of the loyal workmen in our factory could we have succeeded in making good in the work we were called upon to do. To these belongs the greater credit, and we are proud est of all of the boys from our plant who joined the colors." Comp and Owens Reopen Repair Shop Uptown The Comp and Owens Auto Re pair shop which has been practically ideal for the past several months has recently been reopened and is now working on the same basis as here-to-fore. Last August John F. Owen one of the pareners enlisted in the Fire Department of the United States Army and shortly afterwurd, N. V. Comp the other partner got the 'flu' and has been in a critical condition until just recently. Ownes secured his discharge a few days ago so that now both gentlemen are back on the job and going ahead with the spirit and vim to make up for the seven months of idleness. , PRICE SITUATION BENEFITS MAKERS Waiting For Lower Prices Re lieves Critical Situ ation "Our sales manager lolls me that a lot of people are waiting for au tomobile prices to come down before placing their orders." said Richard H. Scott, general manager of the Reo Motor Car Company, "and if that is true, it is a good thing from our standpoint. "It relieves a condition that would otherwise be critical. "If a lot of people were not will ing to wait for some reason or other, we would be at our wit's ends to handle the situation because, while we of the Reo Motor Car Company have long been accustomed to a chronic overdemand for our prod uct, I have never known a time when the demand was so greatly in excess of the possible output as right now. "Why, in former years, we have always counted on a letup in buy ing during November, Ilecember and January to enable us to get a few thousand cars ahead of the sales department against the big spring demand. "But this year orders have kept always hopelessly in advance of out put so that wo have now no reserve at all and the time has already passed when we can hope to accu mulate one. "Of course, like everything else, we can put the blanie on the war and in this case the war really is guilty. "While we' have not considered it truly patriotic to flaunt our pa triotism by boasting to the public of our war activities, nevertheless during the past year it is a fact that, like most other large manufactur ers. our plants were devoted 100 per cent, to Uncle Sam's work. "For that reason we not only were |j In the Front Rank of | I |! Motor Excellence! | 1 j A car that, because of its sunerb finish and ll fj | artistic lines, appeals to the lover of the beautiful in motor car construction. A car that, by reason of its performance and mechanical excellence, its durability j 1 and dependability, has convinced the mechanic of its excellence. | Velie Features 1 A few features of the "Biltwel" Six that make it rank in the |i forefront of motordom are: Velie-Continental motor; H Timken axles, front and rear; Hotchkiss drive; dry plate, 1 | multiple disc clutch, and wonderful riding qualities due to the long, three-quarter elliptic springs. There are nine body designs, covering every phase of the < B motor car that means for beauty and comfort. j ' Velie Prices I Five-passenger Touring $1405 Four-passenger Coupe 2025 j I 1 Two-passenger Roadster .... 1105 i> B| I Five-passenger Sedan 2025 1 °"-Pssengcr Town Car .... 2500 gjl Three-passenger Cabriolet ... 1025 Four-passenger Sport Car .... 1075 ;|l j ; F. O. B. FACTORY i 1| ■ Rex Garage & Supply Co. | > DISTRIBUTORS ] 1 1917 North Third Street Both Phones I L. L. MARCH '15,11919. unable to manufacture automobiles but, like everyone else, we figured that the war might last for several years yet and consequently had made no plans whatsover for the near future. "When we suddenly found our selves back on a peace basis, we were unable to plan for anything like former production for the com ing year because, while some kinds of materials were obtainable, others were not and, while those that are unobtainable may constitute only one per cent, of the automobile, nevertheless we have to have 100 per cent, of parts before we can turn out a car. "That, by the way, is a phase of the problem that the average per son does not seem to understand. I might even accuse some supposed ly intelligent writers of tho same shortcoming. "We constantly hear it said that 'steel will now be uvailablc' as if that were tho only thing necessary. "These writers never even think of the fraction of an ounce qt platinum that is necessary to com plete an automobile, not to mention the fact that not merely steel, but certain special alloys of steel are necessary if we would maintain the quality on which our reputation in the past has been based, "Before we can start on quantity production at all it is necessary for tho steel mills to completely re habilitate many departments—and in a good many eases your Undo Sam has not yet canceled the or ders he gave the steel mills. "Rubber, aluminum, copper, cot ton and many other necessary in gredients constitute serious prob lems for us with the result that, much as we would like to do so, we cannot hope to supply more than a fraction of the demand of the coming year at any price. "All talk of price reductions, therefore, is futile save in a few isolated cases such as where a man ufacturer had either set a fictitious value on his product or where, for some other reason, the price in any event would have had to come down. "However, as I said before, it is a good thing tliat some buyers have found a reason for withholding their orders, else the automobile business would be swamped with orders we could not fill, and while that may sound like a pleasant condition, I can assure you, .from past experi ence, that it is anything but an en viable one to occupy." WAR'S INFLUENCE ON ACCESSORIES Now Devices Result of Ex perience at the Front It -will be noted In the cases of rhany standard accessories at thel show that they rcvep.l the in fluence of use in warfare at the front. Many features and forms of construction which are sufficiently sturdy for civil uses were found too light and not strong enough for the rigors of life in the war zone. It meant redesigning in many factories to meet army and navy specifications. In other cases war necessity was the mother of invention and there are some real "war babies" offered—not the least to mention tho wonderful Liberty airplane motor which will be displayed at the show. As the popularity of the closed passenger car for all year round use continues to grow, many refinements and accessories will be noted that are applicable to the limousine and coupe. Bodies are being constructed with larger windows than ever be fore, so that they become practically glass walled affairs. Various anti rattling devices will be found to keep the windows from rattling and lo eliminate body squeaks. Heaters of greatly improved de sign, using hot exhaust gases as a means for keeping the car comfor table. are seen in high priced cars and even in some of the more mod erate priced. Hundred of accessories will be found that are designed to overcome | the effects of cold weather. There I are many more priming devices to j facilitate starting at low tempera | tures, most of these being controlled from the dash. Devices of this na ture have been on the market for years, hut a number of the 1919 models work on new principles or have had their design considerably modified.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers