Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-08
Recruiting Starts at once.

Recruiting for the regiments and
the organization Of each force will be
directly under the colonel of each
regiment. Recruiting machinery Of
the regular service or the National
Guard will be placed at their service.
and 1t is hoped that the enrolment Of
troops will take little time. The
recruiting points will be New York.
Chicago. st. Louis. Boston, Pitts
burgh, Detroit, Atlanta. San Francis
co and Philadelphia.
Of1cials believe the great railroad
brotherhoods will cooperate, throw
ing the strength Of the unions behind
the recruiting efforts. The railway
companies already are 30 organized
under the Council of National De-
Tense that their cooperation is assur-
ed. The engineers and officials Of the
lines who offer themselves will be Sc
lected in such manner az not to Grip
pie the operating forces OF any COM
pany.
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 val 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,
SlSllS AIlO 1OOQ toward the QRNOnR
front from channel, ports and from
France.
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 aiken to France.
American engineers had much to do
with that. They have also, under
contract with the British ana French
governments, driven tunnels, built
spurs and bridges and mapped out
schemes of transportation thai 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 the work of building or operating
a whole railway system.
Commanders for the new regiments
probably will be announced today.
To Push Battle Lines Forward.
While the regular engineer troops
of the army are among the 8 drill
ed in the service. it is improbable that
the new regiments will be subjected
to any lengthy military training. They
will be given military organization
OAAy Al w oaA0 Va 6ES6SCX 41AOUA11Sy
and efficiency. They will carry the
usual arms and equipment Of, engineer
troops. rifles and bayonets, but their
real fighting will be done with the
complicated appliances and engines OF
railway operation Or construction.
Supplemented by labor and skill
available in France, the nine rsgf-
ments represent a tremendous power
of construction that would enable the
allies to re-make their lines Of COM
munication in the shortest possible
time and AT them for the increasing
ly heavy task Of supplying millions Of
fighting men as the battle lines are
pushed forward.
The administrations action means
that American troops carrying the
American nag and in the uniform Of
the American army are soon to be on
French soil. II there is psychological
value in such . movement, % both
French and British commissioners
have urged, 1t will show itself with
the arrival In France Of the nrst en-
Rineer reRimAnf