The Washington herald., 1917-05-22

ent plans are carried out This belt
which Is only a band around the waist
of the coat and shapes 1t a little to its
wearer has two steel hooks which sup
port the heavy leather equipment belt.
There Is no difference in the trousers
worn by the British and American SOL
diers. When the wide -brimmed campaign
hat is exchanged for the steel helmet it
will be hard to tell which country's
forces are occupying the trenches.
, The new model uniform will not be is
sued to the enlisted men until the ac-
cumulated stock of old-style uniforms has
been exhausted. At present 10000 of
these uniforms are in the arsenals. Of
fcers probably will qJler the new models
from their tailors as soon as the order
comes out.
The information given the Ordnance
Department and Quartermaster Corps by
the French and British officers who ar
rived with their respective commissions
will result in radical increases being
made in the program for auto transpor-
tation for our new forces and in the
schedules already announced for the in
crease of the regular establishment.
1t is learned that the reports made by
such officers as Coils. Heron and Puckle,
OF the British subsistence department,
auto trucks have played in the forward
ing of supplies from the primary bases
and the eventual distribution along the
front, just as reports from our military
observers have stressed the tremendous
use that is being made of mobile heavy
artillery.
Brig. Gen. William Crozier. Chief of
Ordnance, U. s. A, included in his esti-
mates for the army bill which failed OF
passage in the Sixty-fourth Congress the
IS armored automobiles, go machine-gun
motorcycles and $50 motorcycles for use
in forwarding ammunition in emergen-
cies. These figures have since been re-
vised entirely. The armored automobiles
are to be along the same lines as those
which comprise the unit included in the
New York National Guard Division. No
serious attempt has been made by our
ordnance experts to copy the tanks"
of which so much has been written; the
reason for such hesitation being simply
that confidential and Trustworthy reports
are that they have been spectacular fail
ures.
Machine-gun motorcycles are believed
to be another of the long list of innova-
lions which must be credited to American
ingenuity, the idea being first preached
here Just before the dar. They have
been used in Isolated cases by the Brit
Ism, II Is hnO"n, DuI O1ly as VtOltINlOH
for messengers and men on similar duty.
Estimates for the new army call for
approximately 1000 trucks and autos.
The various types and their cost are set
forth as follows: Four thousand. two
hundred and ten automobiles (tOuring) at
81 900: 1910 automobiles (runabouts). az
$500; q, 80 motor trucks Ccargo), at 2SCv:
1.090 motor trucks Crepair and Kitchen.
at $500; 2,1sO motor trucks Supply, at
s., 200; 200 wrecking and mess cars. at
81, 500: $3.50 motorcycles. at $3.50; 20 mobile
machine shops at S25,O00.
Despite the fact that 800, ,0O0, 900 is in
volved in the purchase Of these ma
chimes, 1t must not he thought that our
new forces will be sustained on self
propelled basis entirely. To the contrary,
no less than 529.3S horses and mules are
included in the transportation estimates
For cavalry, 252,9jO horses were allotted
at S175 each: for light artillery, 134,9SO,
at 5000; for heavy artillery, $3.50 at $3.50
This last item Is the one which will suf-
fer the heaviest reduction under the new
plan.
In Special Order 9S. War Department.
April IS, 1917, a special board was ap-
these changes will be carried. 1t includes
Maj. Lucian B. Moody. Ordnance Depart
ment: Maj. T. Moore. Field Artillery
General StanO; Capt w. A. Capron,
Fifth Field Artillery, and Mr.. George W
Dunham, of Washington. Capt. Capron
was included because of the experience
OF his command with motor tractors at
Fort Sill, Okla.