Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-08-22
EIGHT HOUR Law
unknown At front
TOP Speed" is Only Rule
When the Troops Are
Advancing
NO TIME FOR
SITTING DOWN

The eight.hour.law is null and void
so far as the operations Of the armies
Of America and her allies in Europe
are concerned. When the troops be
gin to advance the rule mo hours
goes into effect everywhere, especial
~ behind the lines. To tell just what
"top speed" means in the allied ar
mics on the west front was what a
British army officer recently endeav
ored to do. He called his story Rush
Repairs. OF How Some Things Are
Done at Top Speed"
ITO render" said this officer. an
advance possible and to insure that
everything shall be kept up TO date
behind the line Is no small order.
There is no time for sit.llg down
and .hlakinf things over. II anything
has to be done It has to De done at
once A few hours delay lnigh- be
very convenient - the organizer,
but such delay would probably yiti-
ate any plans he might make. That s
why. when anything has 10 be done
IN the matter OF repairs and rear
rangements behind the line, II has
- hc done at top speed. There are
no hours in the army. II q job has
to be rushed then everybody bl'klcs
70 the task, and keeps on unIl The
Job Is finished
"Once a Job had to be doua at a
spot the Huns lad been sheltng for
three days. IL was the removal OF
stores and all the spare r A. NJ. C..
and A. S. G.. men had been pressed
into service. Il was carried through
al night and no lights were shown.
II wasn't m easy Job, the loading up
+ OF lorries and wagons
NOW then you chaps said the
/ officer In charge, 81 don't know who
T Nou are or where you come from. but
: y We rot TO get this job done in
about three hours. II we don'r we
. shall be shelled to hell at Daylight"
There was some cheerful growing
/ but the job was done well under the
A time
4 Ammunition dumps with their
4 millions of shells. have TO be built
4 so as to be within easy reach of the
q transport But other roads have to
be made leading through the dump
from the main route. This is neces
ssry in order that lorry may be
brought in, and loaded or unloaded
I from either side These roads are OF
the corduroy variety q floor OF pit
props being laid and made secure,
for the time being. But when It does
min In France 1t isn't long before the
logs begin to sag, as the water gets
into the ground beneath, and the frsi
la an fUi
down at an awkward angle, one o
the wheels disappears up to thu
axle, and the logs splay out in al
directlons. That's where the rush be
gins A strong pull and a long pull
get the lorry out Of the way up comes
the loose logs. the ground beneath
IS made up with brushwood or short
lengths OF timber. we'll begged down
the surface is reiaid and couple OF
hours later things are going on well
again
perhaps. though. there are not
enough pit props available. Around
rushes an officer. gets q chit from
the office of the Chief Engineer OF
the Army Corps operating there. hops
on a lorry. and away he pelts to tie
nearest rail head or dump The Chi
.
there the necessary material Is Is
4 sued and loaded back goes the lorrl
again, and the job is done. Perhaps
road Is under water and iron pipes
a are necessary TO take the surplus
a from one side Of the highway to
3 ditch on the other Iron pipes do no
grow on the bushes by the side o
the road They are stacked perhaps
miles away on a dump. and they hav
70 be brought up Then. and not III
81 then. the work can be done and tn
route released for trafilc again.
Even steam rollers have to b.
considered, for a steam roller has
81 soul, and has 10 be humored The frs
Isl steam roller I saw In France cam
81 from a London suburb. and she wa
M resting In a ditch The next / sa'
81 was one from the County Council {
a southern county. She was in ditcl