The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-12-21

WORKS in
FRANCE AND HOME
Railroads Built Complete In Uni
\ ted States and Sent With
Operating Force To Europe

~ Ne"'S y Sfe~ " GNi wv tl VI.
The Corps Of Engineers Of the army
since April has not only been supply
ing the engineer equipment for an army
Of million men, but has undertake en-
the unprecedented task Of furnishing
railroads complete from the United
States for operation in France! II
The engineers construct the free ar.
teries through which flow great armies,
reinforcements, supplies. and ammuni.
tion to the extremities Of the lines.
Vast and Rapid Expansion
From March ! TO November | the
Corps of Engineers increased its per,
sonnet from 256 officers ON the active
list to 394 officers and fourteen retired
officers on active duty and in addition
has commissioned more than 5000 re.
serve officers. The enlisted force has
expanded from 200 to $4,000. and
there has also been o heavy increase in
civilian employees.
In addition, nine railroad regiments
and enc forestry regiment have been
raised as part of the National Army.
Seventeen pioneer regiments have been
authorized as part of the National
Army and are rapidly organizing. Ma.
tional guard units, equivalent to about
seven regiments, have been called into
the federal service, and their reorgani-
zation into seventeen pioneer, engineer
regiments for the seventeen divisions Of
national guard troops is well under
way. a
Three Officers Training Camps
Engineer officers training camps
were established in each of the sixteen
training camp areas, the number of
candidates for engineer commissions
taken from each camp being $50. After
a months training in the same camps
with the candidates for commissions in
|other branches of the service the en-
gineer sections were transferred to
three engineer training camps with spe
eial facilities for technical instruction,
one in the vicinity Of Washington, one
at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and one
at Vancouver Barracks, Washington.
Instruction was continued there for two
months In August, 1900 candidates
were graduated and are now holding
commissions. E..
Large numbers of engineer graduates
of training camps have been assigned
being organized and the training of en-
listed men in the National Army will
be largely under their supervision. A
number are in France'for special train
ing. 90 - 81. ~. ~. ~
On December about 1900 engineer
reserve officers will be graduated from
second engineer officers training
camp. &,r .., E..E~ IL r.
ID ..
Purchase of Equipment 49, &c.,. H.
A duty imposed upon the engineers
has been the purchase of the necessary
engineer equipment for more than
100000 men. The urgent deficiencies
act, approved June is, 1917, appfo-
priated for the purpose amounts aggre-
eating in excesss of $l30,000,O00, an
amount comparable with the purchase
of material, equipment, and supplies for
the Panama Canal during the ten years
of it's construction. The urgent de-
ficiencies act, approved October 8, 1917,
provides $l9S, 100000 additional for en-
gineer purposes and it is expected that
all of this will be expended during the
present fiscal year. a. r.I
Within $50 hours after the Engineer
Corps, following the declaration of war,
advertised for equipment, awards had
been made covering the requirements of
100000 men, total of 100000 ar
ticles, which included among other
items four miles of pontoon bridge.
Approximately two months was the av-
erage time of delivery secured on all
of this material.
On September Z, two weeks after re-
ceipt of instructions, equipment was en-
-, Of ri
and National Army organizations at
These shipments comprised q total of
about 100000 pounds in some Ga
900 separate cases and packages.
= BY November | the outstanding OBJ
legations on orders placed for En-
plies, aggregated $l30,000,000, and dis.
bursements in payments for material
delivered had reached the sum of 49,
100000 per month. ...a. .,'...
Another important task Of the Engi'
neers has been to provide efficient meth
DDS for the receipt, storage, and ship
ment abroad, with proper accounting
system, for this mass of supplies az
well as for the vast equipment for field
operations and construction work. r-
NOulpl6pS hdllIOdu VI tIdhC0 ...f...
Trained officials in various depart =
ments of American railroads were call
ed upon for the officers, and experienced
railroad employees for the enlisted men,
Of the nine railroad regiments, each of
33 officers and approximately hoo
men. g. 2. ." d I'LL
The cost of materials ordered to date
is approximately $70,000,00O, including
some hundreds of locomotives, more
than 100000 tons of steel rails, more
than 5000 complete ttirhouts, 100000
ties, $4,000 freight ears, 600 fill and
ballast cars, 600 miles Of telephone
wire and apparatus, as well as vast
quantities of construction and repair
equipment. @.r-. @g ~.
The Engineers have also undertaken
the work, Of organizing and equippihg
special troops for special services, such
as Humber supply, road construction,
sanitary construction, camOuhage sery-
ice, gas and flame service, mining work,
etc, ~ w.. -. .NN.1...,
Preferred attention has been given
TO the organization and equipment of
the first forestry regiment, to be sent to
France 10 produce lumber and timber
n a . ~.