Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-05-08
First Contingent to Be Com
posed Entirely of Highly
Trained Railway Men, Is
Official Announcement.
FORCE TO BE MADE UP OF
OVER 1900 ENGINEERS
Maintaining Transportation IS
One Of Most important
Problems of Modern War;
Much Daring Is Required,
tsv MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL .r..rr ~,a.i


Washington, May 7.-Nne new reg
iments of army engineers, to be COM
posed exclusively Of highly trained
railway men, will be the first Amer-
can troops sent to France. They viii!
go "at the earliest possible moment"
the war department announced today
for work on communication lines, but
speculation as to the exact time when,
or TO what points they will be sent is
menace.
The new forces will be volunteers,
raised at the nine great railway CEN
ters of the country. Each regiment
will be commanded by an engineer
colonel of the regular army, aided by
am adjutant. " other officers will
be railway engineers or officials.
1900 TO $4,000 Men.
The expedition will have total
strength of between | 900 and II, ,000
men, each regiment being composed
of two battalons of three companies
ers necessary to the building or Oper-
alton OF lines will be represented AMI
the war department expects a response
to the cali that will insure a
force already trained to the minute,
an army of experts in railway opera
ton.
The departments statement fol-
lows:
The war department has sent out
orders for the raising as rapidly as
possible of nine additional regiments
of engineers which are destined to
proceed to France at the earliest pos
sible moment for work in lines of
communication. 1t is requested of the
press that no speculation or rumors
regarding this force be carried other
than that given out. All details re-
garding this force will be given out as
fast as compatible with the best public
interests"
Recruiting will be directly under
the colonel of each regiment. Re-
cruiting machinery of the regular
service or the national guard will be
placed at their service and II is hoped
the enrolment of the troops will take
little time. The recruiting points will
be New York, Chicago. st. Louis, Bos-
ton, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Atlanta, San
Francisco and Philadelphia.
BrOthcrhOOds to Aid.
Officials believe the great railroad
brotherhoods will cooperate, throw
ing the strength of the unions behind
the recruiting efforts. The railway
companies already are so organized
under the council of national defense
engineers and officials of the lines
who offer themselves will be selected
in such manner as not to cripple the
operating forces of any company.
The decision to send the engineers
is understood to have grown out of
conferences here between government
officials and members of the French
and British war missions. One of the !
great problems of the war has been
that of maintaining adequate supply
lines and the railroads are the vital
element of the system that feeds men,
shells and food toward the fighting
front from channel ports and from
France.
Spectacular Work Ahead
Engineering feats of spectacular
nature have been accomplished in
perfecting these communication lines. |
A whole British railroad was picked
up bodily, rolling stock, rails, road
bed and all, and taken to France. |
American engineers had much to do
with that. They also have, under |
contract with the British and French
governments, driven tunnels, built !
spurs and bridges and mapped out
schemes of transportation that are in
operation today.
America is pre-eminent in the field
of railway engineering and the best
talent and experience the nation can
provide in that line will go into the
new regiments, each of which would
be able to undertake all or any part !
of building or operating a whole rail- |
way system.
The administrations action means
the American troops carrying the |
(Continusd on Page Two.J