Ripley County democrat., 1917-11-30
Over zoo Ships win Be Required
Constantly to Supply the
American Force.
GREAT AREA FOR SEA BASE
Estimated That 100 Pounds Of Freight
Per Man Per Day Must De Un-
loaded at the Port Of De-
IN, barkation.
CHARLES n. oRAsTY.

1 A'SW AVhh
London. - The American army II
France will need some transporting
Here are figures that are at least an
proximately correct.
1t is estimated that 100 pounds Of
freight per man per day must be un.
loaded at the port of debarkation
Therefore, when at the end of two
years. we have, say, one million men
In France, we must unload daily 1OO,-
100000 pounds Of freight, or $4,000
tons.
Three thousand tons can be un-
loaded daily from a good-szed ship /;
hence IL ships at the wharves, each of
them unloading 5000 tons, will fiji the
requirements. In the United States
II ships must be loading 10000 tons a
day. This makes total of "a ships
at the docks. Taking as a basis a g.
OOO ton (dead weight) ship, we see
that IL ships must leave New York ev-
cry two days and II ships leave some
French port every two days in tran
sit with army freight. Assuming ten
days as the time of passage, there
would be ITO ships $1,000 tons) en-
route to and from the United States,
which, added to the 81 at the docks,
Will make total Of 20i ships, assum-
ing no loss or delay.
Enormous Supplies Needed
To indicate the quantities Of GER
tain articles required, fuel for cooking
for six months, on a basis of half !.
cord per day per hundred men, would
amount to 1850 cords. Owing TO
scarcity Of fuel part of this may have
to be brought to France.
With 100000 men, there will be ap-
proximately 100000 animals. At IA
pounds Of hay day, there would be
required for six months over 45e,OO0,-
600 pounds of hay, which must be i'm
ported, and also 36O0O0.00O pounds of
oats. Rations win require 815,OOO.0c0
pounds. Ammunition will run into bill
lions of pounds.
This freight calculation does not
consider what would be required In
building or rebuilding railroads or can
tonments. The space required for store
housing at the base would be about as
follows: Rations, etc, $50 acres: fuel
100 acres; forage, 450 acres; renount
dcpots, $50 ceres; cantonments for cas-
uals, etc., 800 acres sick and wounded,
1000 acres; engineer, ordnance. and |
signal corps, 1900 acres. Allowing for |
roads, office buildings, barracks, ETC.,
the total would be about 5000 acres.
Confusion In Figures.
Always there is considerable confu-
sion about shipping figures. There Is
no one on this side Of the Atlantic. SO
far as ] am able to find out, who can
tell precisely the difference between a
gross and net ton. AS a matter Of
TACT, net tonnage is not a fixed term.
In referring to submarine sinkings,
gross tons are always used, together
with the English reckoning of 2,240
pounds to the ton. In general way
cargo carrying space is figured In cubic
'eet and then divided by 100 to get
ross tonnage. Displacement Is quite
mother matter That kind of tonnage
means the weight Of the ship itself, as
understand 1t, although the word
uggests the weight of the water dis
'laced by the ship. Those who follow
he submarine news should bear In
mind that tonnage given is gross and
hat weight Of cargo Is not included.