Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 207, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1917 — Red Cross Sends Motor Car Drivers to France for Duty. [ARTICLE]

Red Cross Sends Motor Car Drivers to France for Duty.

Washington, Sept. 17.—Eleven experienced American motor truck drivers have just sailed for France, where they are to serve in the Red Cross transportation service. Sixtyone more men are being trained by the Red Cross in nrotor car factories at Cleveland, Detroit and Buffalo, and are to sail soon. The seventy-two men have been recruited in response to a cablegram from Major Grayson M. P. Murphy, head of the Red Cross commission m France, asking for expert motor truck drivers without delay. Owing to the congestion of the railroads in France, large quantities of Red Cross supplies are being transported by motor truck. from seaports to Paris and other distribution centers. Drivers are being organized into crews, and will be handled on a military basis, working as a part of the Red Cross transportation service, under the command of Major James H. Perkins. Major Perkins went over as deputy commissioner with the Red Cross commission to France, and was commissioned in the quartermaster’s corps attached to General Pershings staff. He is vice president of the National City Bank, New York City, and is an authority on industrial organization. To meet the salaries and transportation expenses of the men now being added to its foreign motor transportation service, the Red Cross war council has voted an appropriation of $17,300.