The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-11-19
Wonders Have Been Accom-
plished at Home and
Abroad Since War
INCREASE FROM
$500 TO 100000
All This Has Been Done in Seven
Months and Supplies Have Been Pur-
chased and Delivered to an Army of
Million

Months and Supplies Have Been Pur-
chased and Delivered to an Army of
a Million.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19.-The corps
Of engineers of the army since April
6 has not only been supplying the en-
ginccr equipment for an army Of a
million men, but has undertaken the
Unprecedented task of furnishing rail
roads complete from the United States
for operation in France.
The Engineers construct the free ar
terics through which flow great armies.
reinforccmcnts, supplies, and ammuni-
ton to the extrcmitics Of the lines
From March l to November l the
corps of engineers increased its person
mel from 256 officers on the active list
to 394 officers and il retired officers
OH active duty and in addition has
commissioned more than 5000 reserve
officers. The enlisted force has expand
ed from 2,1o0 to $4,000, and there Has
also been heavy increase in civilian
employees.
In addition, nine railroad regiments
and one forestry regiment have been
raised Is part of the National army
Seventeen pioneer regiments have been
authorized as part Of the National
army and are rapidly organizing. Ma
tioual Guard units, equivalent TO about
seven regiments. have been called into
the federal service. and their reor-
ganization into II pioneer Engineer
regiments for the II divisions OF Ma
tional Guard troops is well under way.
Engineer officers training camps
| were established in each of the Is
training camp areas, the number Of
/ candidates for Engineer commissions
| taken from each camp being 100. Aft
| or month 5 training III the same
/ camps with candidates for commissions
/ in other branches of the service the
| Engineer sections were transferred to
| three Engineer training camps with
! special facilities for technical instruc-
/ tion. one in the vicinity of Washington,
one at Vancouver Barracks, Wash. In
/ struction was continued there for two
months In August, 1000 candidates
/ were graduated and are now holding
Large numbers of engineer graduates
of training camps have been assigned
30 new regiments and special units are
being organized aud the training of
enlisted men in the National army will
be largely under their supervision. \
number are in France for special train
ing.
/ On December ! about 1000 Engin.
ecr Reserve officers will be graduated
from Il second Engineer officer 5 train.
ing camp.
\ duty imposed upon the engineers
has been the purchase of the necessary
engineer equipment for more than
/. l,NOo,Ooo men. The urgent deficiencie.
act approved june Is, 1917, appropriat
. ed for the purpose amounts aggrcgatinl
in excess of Sl30,0O0,0o0, an amour,
. comparable with the purchase of mate
: rial, equipment, and supplies for the
Panama canal during the 10 years OF
its construction. The urgent deficien
cies act approved October 8, 1917, pro
vidcs Sl9S, 100000 additional for eng
ncer purposes and it is expected that al
!. OF this will be expended during tn,
present fiscal year.
Within $50 hours after the cnginccl
corps, following the declaration of war
advertised for equipment, awards hat
been made covering the requirement,
of 100000 men, total of s.7Oo,O0l
articles, which included among othe
items miles Of pontoon bridge. Ap
proMmatelv two months was the aver
age time Of delivery secured on all o
this material
4 On September :. two weeks after re
celpt OF instructions, equipment was ei
route to the various National Guar,
and National army organizations a
.antonments throughout the country
These shipments comprised a total o
4 about is,ooo00o pounds in some Ca
900 separate cases and packages.
BY November the outstanding oh
legations OF orders placed for cnginec
material, equipment, and supplies, 40
gregatcd $4,000 900, and disburg,
\ ments in payments for material dcliy
: cred had reached the sum of $4,000
goo per month.
Another important task OF the eng