The Washington herald., 1917-06-18

Maj. Gen. j. FRANKLIN DELL,
Commander of the Department Of
the East.
Another sketch of prominent
army officer.
Born in kentucky. October 9, 1850
and appointed a cadet in the Mill
tary Academy in 1874. In 1878 he was
made an additional second lieutenant
in the Ninth Cavalry. He continued
in that branch of the service until
1898, when he was made a major of
volunteers and rose to the rank Of
brigadier general. He returned to the
regular establishment in 1901 as q
lieutenant colonel in the Adjutant Gen
made brigadier general and five years
later was promoted to the rank Of
major general.
The details of transportation Of our
military force in France constitute a
problem that is engaging the careful
attention of the Quartermaster Cen
eral of the army. During the recent
visit to Washington of the British
officers, who came with the Balfour
mission, Gen. Sharpe was able to
obtain valuable information that will
be of practical use in connection with
the transportation of the troops of
the force under Gen. Pershing. 1t
was interesting to learn, among other
things, that the transport organized
dl ltlt was
necessary by the fact that the French
railways were getting in a very bad
shape toward the end of 1916. Col.
F. X. Puckle, Of the British army,
said in that connection:
THE French had not anticipated the
war lasting the length of time that
its has, and added to that was the
fact that they had lost some $1,000
railway trucks during the retreat; also
their locomotives were breaking down
through the tremendous strain thrown
upon them, and the permanent ways
were getting into bad condition for
the same reason. In that connection,
the construction of the railway sys-
TEN, and the layout Of the same,
from the strategical point Of view pre-
vious to war, was based on the sup
position that they would be fighting at
least on their own frontier and that
they would not be compelled to take
position well in rear Of the from
tier as is the case. Consequently the
layout OF the railways with main
line running parallel to the frontier
Is today in the hands of the Germans,
and we are compelled. and the French
also, to rely on system OF railways
in rear of this organization which
was not intended, and was not con-
structed, to stand this very heavy
strain"
The English system is based on a
central pool of lorries, cars. and
motor cycles. At the front the types
of mechanical transport units COM
prise a corps supply column, a corps
ammunition park, a general head
quarters ammunition park, motor
ambulance conveys. auxiliary motor
transport company, and heavy mobile
repair units. The siege park Is a
nucleus of all the heavy artillery OF
the corps, and that of the Canadian
corps had over 1000 lorries. Our
transportation experts may find it
necessary to change the American
system in some particulars to meet
the conditions OF transportation in
France. Quoting Col. Puckle again:
The percentage. of spares required
both in spare parts and in this pool
Of lorries, cars, and motor bicycles,
you will be well aware ofby your ex-
perience gained in your various ex-
petitions and wars; but it Is probable
that you would have to increase your
estimate by reason of the fact that
although you are accustomed to travel
very much greater distances than you
win have to cover In France. yet the