In April of 1931, Georges-Marie Haardt set out to prove that automobiles were suitable for crossing all terrain. He convinced wealthy patrons and the National Geographic Society to finance a trip from Beyrouth (Beirut), Lebanon, east through Afghanistan over the Asian mountains to Peiping (Peking), China, then south to Saigon, and then back. His account of getting ready for this journey is reported in "The Trans-asiatic Expedition Starts," (National Geographic Magazine, June, 1931).
Extensive preparations were required because "In the course of our journey we will encounter every variation of temperature, from wintry blasts in the lofty Pamir to the sultry heat of an Indo-China summer; and nearly every kind of terrain, from tropical marshes and desert of sand and rock to high mountain passes" (p. 776). We must keep in mind that most of the trip would be accomplished without roads!
The expedition planned for many problems and carried "a complete repair outfit and spare parts enough practically to rebuild an automobile if necessary" (p. 777). The journey would consist of traveling 15,000 miles and then returning.
The seven cars in the expedition appeared to be Model-T trucks with wheels in front and tank treads in back, puling two-wheeled trailers. Included were two cars for motion picture equipment, a wireless (radio) car, a kitchen car, and a medical car. Thirty to forty people would be in the party. They would camp in tents along the way.
My first question is: where will they obtain all the gasoline needed for these heavy vehicles? "Each car. . .has a six-cylinder, high compression, fifty horsepower motor, the gasoline for which is carried in two tanks of about sixty gallon capacity each, with an emergency tank in reserve which holds twenty gallons" (p. 780).
The author commented, "No greater difficulties faced Hannibal in getting his elephants over the Alps than loom before us in our attempts to maneuver automobiles across the Pamir" (p 780). The speed of these cars ranged from one to twelve miles per hour!
I am impressed! To cross rivers too deep to drive across, they will bring inflatable floats and rafts, "capable of supporting any one of the cars without its trailer. . .and an outboard motor" (p. 781).
The group plans on collecting birds, animals, and plant life, and studying the ethnic history of Asia. "Certain it is that nowhere else in the world can one find a greater conglomeration of races" (p. 782).
Another aspect to be studied will be economic life: products, industries, currencies, etc. Mr. Haardt postulates, "the results of our efforts should be of real value to mankind in making the contemplative life of the Orient and the fast-moving life of the Western World better known to each other" (p. 782). And we shall also look forward to these results in a future issue of National Geographic Magazine!
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