Roy D. Chapin: The Man Behind the Hudson Motor Car Company

XIV. With Pershing On the Border

CHAPTER XIV WITH PERSHING ON THE BORDER WHENEVER affairs at the company were running smoothly so that Roy could address his mind to other subjects, he did so with vigor and enthusiasm. His zeal for business, so characteristic in his early days, had become secondary , now that he had achieved a fortune. The year 1916 was a notable one in Roy's public life from several standpoints. This was the year in which the Federal Government passed a Highway Act providing federal aid for state roads which were built and located according to certain standards. The Act was only a beginning of necessary federal legislation, but it was the start of a national highway policy which within a generation placed the United States in the forefront of highway building and made America's highways the model for the entire world. Roy had a large part in the creation of this federal aid act. He brought to it the support of the automobile manufacturers, which provided personnel and funds for publicity and enlisted the support of the motor clubs and the motor press. In that era there were a number of motoring magazines which had sizable circulation and a considerable influence , especially on such subjects as highway policy. There was one stand in particular taken by Roy Chapin which greatly strengthened his position with Washington and the public. As usual the legislators were eager to tax the automobile and again as usual the car manufacturers were disposed to oppose such measures. In the spring of 1916, however, Roy had prevailed upon his colleagues not to oppose motor taxes as such, but to take the position that taxes on automobiles and fuel should be applied to upkeep of highways. A spectacle of 139 I4O ROY D. CHAPIN manufacturers favoring taxation on their own products was something new in the annals of business and made a very favorable impression. It also led to the very general adoption of the policy, and ultimately created huge revenues for highways which were essential to the road development of the country. This in turn had a sizable effect upon the usefulness of motor transportation and the consequent market for automobiles. Another condition in this era which was due to have wide influence in the United States was the war in Europe. Even though the war had been in progress since August 1914, byi9i6 it still had relatively little influence on American public opinion as a whole, except on the Atlantic seaboard. West of the Alleghenies, war news was usually carried on the inside pages of the newspapers, and during this year President Wilson was running for re-election on the slogan "He kept us out of war". Nevertheless the military and naval authorities in Washington were aware of the dangers and taking steps toward preparation, getting as much volunteer help as they could, as appropriations were pitifully inadequate. Howard E. Coffin, who had been president of the Society of Automotive Engineers, had been appointed as an engineering consultant to the Navy and was frequently in Washington in that capacity. In Aprils 1916, Roy had written to Inez: "Spent a most interesting evening and learned a lot about the war in Mexico etc. They have arranged a luncheon at the War College in Washington next Tuesday and Howard is very anxious I should attend. Quite a number of interesting people are to be there and if everything moves all right feel I should go to it. "Glenn Martin has just telephoned and is coming to breakfast with us. Will have the latest aviation news when I show up at the Savannah station." The so-called war in Mexico at this stage was almost a comic opera affair. Mexico had gone through a series of revolutions. At one point General Villa, incensed by the refusal of the U. S. Government to recognize him, had made a dash across the WITH PERSHING ON THE BORDER I4I border into U. S. territory, and American troops had been sent into Mexico after him on a "punitive expedition". The National Guard had been called out for this invasion and a tremendous troop movement southward had been started, apparently unduly large for the work in hand; but many expected that the Mexican campaign was in part a dress rehearsal for America's participation in the world conflict, which indeed proved to be the case. The American forces found themselves to be in...