New-York tribune., 1904-08-15
THE SUPPLY SYSTEM OF THE AMERICAN ARMY |
HOW OUR SOLDIERS ARE FED, CLOTHED AND TRANS
PORTED TO DO HE'D FIGHTING

The supplies OF all kinds on hand consisted
solely OF the customary limited quantities usu-
ally carried IN times Of peace for the provisions
OF comparatively small force and even those
were not OF the character TO meet the peculiar
requirements OF the tropics Within few
weeks the total strength Of the arulv had been
increased from 26.040 to upward Of 275ONO
men, practically without equipment Of any kind.
Immediately it became the duty CT the Quar-
termaster's Department to provide the armies
with means for concentration, to transport them
and furnish them with shelter. clothing fuel,
cooking facilities. general supplies, wagons, ami
mails, harness and forage water, camp sewer
age, scavenger serv!ce-in fact, to furnish every
thing required for the equipment Of the soldier
OF the line. except his arms ammunition, food
and medical supplies. for all OF which latter.
however. transportation was TO be furnished
by the Quarternlaster's Department.
WORK TO MEET REQUIREMENTS.
In meeting these requirements it became nee.
essary TO consider the needs OF foreign tropical
service and to provide therefor as quickly as
practicable It was found that goods already
manufactured could not be obtained TO fiji the
government orders, and the materials had TO be
actually fabricated before clothing. tentage,
etc. could be supplied. Factories throughout
the country had to work double time and every
bit Of government manufacturing machinery
was pat TO the fulles- test 20 meet the ener-
gency. even the Postof1ce mailbag department
furnishing canvas for tentage. As a result of
al this strenuous exertion. within the short
period OF about three months the entire army
was equipped. So well had the demand been
met when General Skaters army Of SO officers
and 16,05s uen, together with the necessary
civilian employees started back from Cuba. after
its astonishiugiy brief campaign OF victory. that
all the old tentage and equipments it had used
in the fever stricken camps at Santiago were
abandoned and left there, the army its
rival al AIoltauk Point finding new canvas
spread and ample supplies Of all kinds awaiting
it there.
one OF the best evidences Of resourcefulness
was the promptness with which the Quarter
masters Department met the demands OF the
thirty-one concentration camps and temporary
depots that sprang into existence in the United
States soon after the call to arms. More than
this. at 1orty-seven points in Cuba, thirty
in Porto Rico. and nearly 800 in the Philippine
Islands temporary military posts. stations and
depots were established. at each OF which
quaTternaster. acting quartermaster or quarter
master sergeant placed TO provide trans
pcrtation, receive supplies and make proper IS
sues and distribution 70 troops. Hospitals were
built and depots rented or constructed for hoUs-
ing the vast quantities Of comnissary.
As an example Of the magnitude OF the
changes involved in the swift transition from
peace to war may be mentioned the fact that in
a comparatively brief list OF certain articles Of
clothing and tentAge alone. the issues for which
ten months prior TO April SO. 1898 amounted to
!. 90. .22T articles. in the three and one-half
months from May 70 August, total issue OF
II 329. .531 similar articles found necessary.
II was not surprising, therefore that the ex-
pendItures by the Quarternaster's Department,
which prior to the war with Spain averaged
about 100000 annually under the stress Of
war rose 10 S125 100000 IN the year following
the first war appropriation, made May 4. 1898.
and IN the five years folio wing that date aggre-
gated S4O4. $50 &c. al OF which vast sum,
together with a large amount o: insular funds.
was expended by the various disbursing quarter
masters without any culpabIe loss or scandal.
To accomplish these large and important tasks
the number Of regular army quartermasters was
increased from 81 TO 156. including both regulars
and volunteers, scattered over a tremendous
extent OF area az home ami beyond the seas.
small number indeed for the unprecedented
labor under practically untried conditions.
EXTENT OF THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM
And. beyond all this. mention has not yet been
made Of the splendid establishment Of the mari
and envy Of the military world. AT the be-
ginning OF the war with Spain there were only
eleven small harbor vessels owned by the Quar-
termaster's Department. At first II becama
necessary to secure slxty-nlne chartered vessels
in 1898. 10 which were added twenty-six others
in the year following. These however, were al
quickly dispensed with. and in their place grew
the United States regular transport system. In
Guiding 4 feet numbering sixty-four seagoing
vessels. and in addition. for the peculiar needs
OF interisland communication. there were pro
vided oil small vessels lighters. saIlboats. etc.
In the period from the outbreak Of the war
until June 30, 1908. for which statistics were
compiled, the q1artermaster's transports carried,
irrespective OF interisland service. 626,737 per-
sons, 70 ABS animals. 772.709 tons Of material.
100000 packages and 100000 pounds Of mall
matter, besides nearly S40.OO0,O00 in currency
and coin. all OF which service was rendered
without the loss OF a single life chargeable to
any act or neglect of the transport service In
the same period. exclusive NJ the transport ser
,,ce the denartn1e1:t furnished transportation by
-su vzars- and wagon for 5,39I,722 persons,
los o53 animals and 3,206.49 tons OF freight
the cost Of TRANSFORMATION being all in all re-
5,,oed hsloU the smallest minimum ever before
attained and. according TO careful. conservative
estimate made last year by Quartermaster Cen
srsI r1,,rnnhrey. saved the government 81
24s. .439 "A.
THE transport feet still maintains high
srardar6 OF economical efficiency but has been
-sduced 10 the ocean going vessels, ana the
sy,u,t ezoenditlres have been considerably de-
creased the total for me fiscal year OF 1903
being S39. asa. Al. with prospective reouc'lol
oFc c5 O00 00{1 for the coming year