The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1916-06-25
UsClt tAN HAs AMPLE
QUANTITIES OF AAafI
AtrfOs AID fOoD
TRUCKS TO
Iil USED lIY ARMY
MANY NehSeles Already seat
To Border ard Number wiIl
soou b. Infress~d

HH tetaa8 Teaf. 5as
q hleh sfme aHer authority far
49, s#temeet fsat operations iH
Mesea aiH aat hs dslaFaa bF tha
Iask 81 fba HlHeea 81 waf" Par
tbefmofe. ~ declared factories are
Ia position o. keep supplies eomlnN
as fast a. ihey are needed Hs point
ed out that the government bad
taken the preeautlnn q make large
preliminary purchases. a. well a.
Increase the output of ~ arsenals
Vast quantities 0f ammunition and
supplies are already in storage IN
Mexico and al points along the bor.
der These are considered sufficient
30 start the regular army and the or
ganized militia in general cam
paign and sources for repIenish-
ment of the supply are open.
During the three months Ameri-
can troops have been In Mexico such
Improvement has heen made in the
|armys reorganization and equip
ment that officers here admitted to-
day that It is far better prepared for
war at the present time than If the
break with Mexico had come immed-
lately after the Villa raid
The greatest forward step has
been made in the transportation de-
partment, the army expert declared
When General Pershing started his
pursuit of Villa in the middle of
March the quartermaster's corps did
not have a single motor truck as a
part of the supply system; nov there
are upward Of 500 machines in the
service.
The trucks are of heavy build,
capable of carrying loads varying
from one and a half tons to three
tens. All Of them are In use along
the border and in Mexico at the
present, and arrangements have
been made with factories for an ad-
ditional supply.
Not only have trucks been used
for the transportation of supplies
but they are being employed to rush
troops from place to place. Expert
ments have proven that entire regi-
ments can be moved in trucks much
more rapidly than cavalry, the fast
arm of the service. can operate.
In addition to the supply train
iystem, motor transportation has
been extended to other branches
within the last three months. Auto.
noble ambulances have been adopt
ed, big water tanks for the supply of
troops moving through barren couu-
try have been mounted on trucks and
General Funston has even gone so
far as TO secure armoured motor cars
on which machine guns are mounted.
All Of this equipment is either al
eady in use or available for instant
service.
A large increase has been made
In the number Of motorcycles in use
| by the army. These motorcycles are
o. special construction with machine
gun attachments.
The beginning Of the campaign in
Mexico showed the need Of high
covered aeroplanes, and those of
the old type have been discarded for
powerful planes of the latest design.
! These machines are now at Column
bus and Will be sent into Mexico as
soon as new propellers have been
provided.
The long stretches of territory to
be covered in Mexico have lead to
marked bettermeuts IN the field
wireless equipments and "buzzer"
Telegraph lines.
The latest acquisition is the con-
signment Of strong searchlights to
aid in locating the foe in night en-
gagements. The thick brush in Mex
leo makes it easy for men to escape
in the night, but officers believe
that by the use of the searchlights
they can be detected.
Mr.. Vernon Tolleson Is spending