THRILLING MOTOR TRIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19382, 17 July 1926, Page 2 (Supplement)

THRILLING MOTOR TRIP.

MACHINE GUNS AS ESCORT. SNOW PASSES OF PERSIA. -rf" ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD. GALLOWS FOR BANDITS An account? of a holiday motor trip of 6000 miles through Palestine and Persia has been supplied to the Sunday News by Mr. Joe Lee, a well-known commission agent. His story reads as follows: . We have just reached home after a winter on the Open Road —6000 miles of it. Bound, eventually, for the snowtopped passes of Persia, a party of us left London some months ago in our 23 h.p. car, sworn to do as much of the journey as we could by road, and armed with every laissez pass we deemed necessary. We had intended to travel through France, Germany, Austria, Jugo-Slavia, Rumania, Bulgaria and Greece. The night of the first day was spent at Arras. On the following morning, through blinding snowfall, we made Rheims. Here we heard that weather conditions along our intended route were deplorable. After consultation we decided that the route must be changed, so wo motored through Paris to Marseilles, Cannes and Trieste, whefe we took steamer to Athens, sending the car back to Marseilles for shipment to Beirut. With a hired car we motored 299 miles in Greece; then we steamed to Constantinople, and motored 124 miles through Turkey. I should like to warn brother motorists who intend travelling in. that part of Europe not to, use the Adrianople road without obtaining a special permit in advance — through neglecting this I was under a mild form of detention for 24 hours. At Beirut, Syria, we picked up our own car again, and motored to Tiberias Palestine (141 miles), following the coast to, Haifa and passing through Nazareth. For about 11 miles we were able to drive the car along the seashore within a foot of the waves, from Akka to Haifa. The Palestine roads are very good. Returning to Jerusalem, we got back to Beirut and made arrangements to .be conveyed to Teheran. Road of Boulders and Ditches. On the first night we slept at Tripoli, 57 miles away. Next day we only got as far as Homa (68 miles) 6n the edge of the desert. Here the road, originally well metalled, had not been repaired for 25 years! Huge boulders covered its surface in places, and we passed two large and dangerous ditches (safely). Let me advise motorists to put their cars on the tram ovei this distance. Wo slept in a curious Arab hotel at Hom^ Our stay at Homs was enforced, for one of the escorting French machine-gun cars had to undei'go-repairs. Continual stoppages by the various cars for punctures or engine trouble delayed us a lot, but our car was the culprit.only once during the whole trip. Then the petrol pipe was choked, and th; delay was only four minutes. The tracks were now in fine condition. We attained a speed of of 54 miles an hour, but we might safely have done over 70. Now we were in the desert, with our own convoy and two escorting machine-gun cars. The bodies of six camels, marking an engagement between bandits and machinegun cars, showed us the necessity .for our own escort. We learned that the machine gunners Had been running very short of ammunition, when, at the last minute, a band of Meharists (French camel soldiers) made a thrilling rescue, and put "paid" to the bandits. A night at Palmyra; then, next day, on to Kebaisah, Irak, a distance of 314 miles, including 36 miles going back for the other cars

At the Irak frontier the two French machine-gun cars left us. and at K,ebaisah we struck an* hotel which, Ave agreed, could show many English hotels a thing, or two in comfort and service. After tedious Customs and passport formalities at Ramadie we arrived at Bagdad—and found it a city ot mud. Three days later we entrained our car from Khaniquin, on the borders of Persia. This we had to do; the tracks, owing to the mud, were impassable, and there were uncomfortable rumours of brigands. Tax " Stops " in Persia.

We paid about £8 road tax through to Teheran, when, having left Khaniquin, we took to the open road again. The paying up we did not mind, but the continual stoppages to get our tax papers endorsed, were a nuisance. And the Persian officials made very sure of collecting their dues—they liad enormous poles stuck right across the road at each toll house! Passing, flocks of enormous eagles we came to the foot of the Paitak Pass—s64Bft above sea level, and covered in snow and slush.

Although told that the Asadabad Pass was closed, we determined to try it, but after a slow journey up its slippery road, through enormo's hordes of donkeys, camels and carts, we met four cars descending, and learned beyond question that the road was closed. Next day, however, we scaled the Pass successfully, after a climb of two hours tan minutes. Hundreds of men were clearing the snowblocked, roads—work made the more urgent by reason of the short supply of wheat the Persian Government had .in hand. Squalor and Poverty. At last we reached Teheran, and found it uninteresting to a degree. Every part ot Persia we went through reeks of squalor, poverty and distress. The hotel accommodation is execrable. There is but one railway in Persia—and that only seven miles long. Teheran attained, we commenced a return, and were glad to reach the Khaniquin railhead, for we heard there had been two hold-ups on our road within the last few days. In one case the driver of g. car and his mate were killed, and in the other case the Persian mail van was robbed. The culprits were two Persian soldiers, and a gallows for their reception was being erected opposite our hotel. I have just touched on some of the main points o? a journey which was, for us, packed with interest. Our tyres and car were wonderful throughout the trip of approximately 6000 miles.