The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1917-05-11

! Washington, May Mine new reg
imen.s of army engineers, to be com
posed exclusively of highly trained
railway men, will be the first American
troops to be sent to F~Gnce. They
win go "at the earliest possible NC
ment," the war department announced
Monday, for work on communication
lines, but speculation as to exactly
when or to what points they will be
sent is forbidden because Of the sub
marine menace.
The rev forces will be volunteers,
raised at nine great railway eenters
of the country. Each regiment win
be commanded by an engineer colonel
of the regular army, aided by an adju
tant. All otter officials viii be rail-
way engineers or officials.
The expedition viii have a total
strength of between 1l,00o and 10000
men, each regiment being composed Of
two battalions Of three companies
Zach. Every branch Of railway work.
ers necessary to the building or opera
tion Of lines will be represented in the
ranks and the war department eX-
Dects a responce to the call that win
permit a careful selection to be eX-
arcised and insure force already
trained to the minute, an army of eX-
perts in railway operation.
Recruiting for the regiments and
he organization of each force will be
directed under the colonel Of each reg
iment. Recruiting machinery Of the
regular service or the national guard
will be placed at their service and it is
hoped the enrolment of the troops
viii take little time. The recruiting
points will be New York, Chicago, st.
Louis, Boston, Pi+tsburg, Detroit, At
lanta, San Francisco and Philadel-
phia.
Officials believe the great railway |
brotherhoods will cooperate, throwing |
ne STRENGTH sf the anisn behis d the !
recruiting efforts, The railway COM
panies already are so organized under
he council of National defense that
their cooperation is assured. The en-
gineers and officials Of the lines who
offer themselves viii be selected in
such manner as not to cripple the OPP
'raling forces Of any company.
The decision to send the engineers
is understood to have grown out Of
here between government
officials and members of the French
and British war missions. One Of the
greatest problems of the war has been
that of maintaining adequate supply
lines and the railroads are the vital ell
ement of the system that feeds the
men, shells and food toward the fight.
ing front.
Engineering feats of spectacular ma
ture have been accomplished in per-
fecting these communication lines. A
whole British railroad was picked up
bodily, rolling stock, rails, roadbed and
all and taken to France. American
engineers had much to do with that,
They have also under contract with
the British and French governments
driven tunnels, built spurs and bridges
and mapped out schemes of transpor-
tation that are in operation today.
America is predominant in the field
of railway engineering and the best
talent and experience the nation can
provide will go into the new regiments
each of which would be able to under
take all or any part of the work of
building or operating a whole railway |
system.
Commanders for the new regiments
probably will be announced tomorrow,
Work of recruiting the regiments will |
start Immediately, and as each recruit
ing center is a city where there is an
army post, it is assumed the regiments
will be assembled in army barracks
and their organization perfected.