The Delta independent., 1917-06-15
FoRESTERS ARE TO BE RECRUIT.
ED AND SENT ACROSS TO
HELP FRANCE.
THEIR WORK is IMPORTANT
Will Give Vital Aid to the Engineers
In Rebuilding and Maintaining the
Lines of Communieation-Part of
Regular Army.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.

1t is wholly within the range of pos
sibilities that these trained woodsmen
of the United States may turn the
scale In some of the important opera
tons of the war. 1t will be the duty
of these experts of the forest service
of the United States to "get out" ma
terial necessary for trenches, bridges,
railroads apd other construction
work of vital Importance not only to
the fighting line but to the means of
keeping it supplied. The foresters will
be as much part of the military force
Of the United States as any other unit
that we send save only that the men
will be armed with the Implements of
their calling. They will not fight, but
they must at times run the dangers of
those who do fight
Some of the foresters who will go
are engineers, but the actual work of
rebuilding the railroads which feed
the fighting lines and the bridges
which make the advances over rapid
running streams possible will be the
duty of the engineering detachments
Of the United States army. The forest
ers, however, will get out and supply
engineer brethren. The foresters who
go into a wood like that of Bois lie
Pretre on the west front, which daily
is shell-pounded. will know what 1t is
to risk their lives for the cause of de
mocracy.
French Railroads Have Suffered.
Concerning the condition of the
means of rail communication in France
at the present time this was written
today:
THE French railroads, like those of
Germany, have suffered terribly from
the neglect Imposed by the use of men
on the firing lines. The German rail-
roads have suffered most, perhaps. be-
cause of the lack of lubricating oils. a
want of which has played havoc with
their rolling stock
However this may be, the French
cannot properly care for their rail-
ways without taking men who are VI
tally necessary for the defense of the
country. The railroads which provide
important avenues of communication
between the base and the front for the
movement of troops and supplies can
not be neglected without seriously en-
dangering operations against the en-
emy. The engineers, the railway men
and the foresters who will be sent to
France by Uncle Sam will solve the
gravest problem which has confronted
the battling republic"
The new forestry regiment will be
commanded probably by colonel of
the regular army. or by a Junior of the
service promoted temporarily to the
rank of colonel who will have with him
few other officers Of the regular es-
tablishment to keep the organization in
military trim and charged with the
military spirit. The men of the regi-
ment will act in cooperation with the
French foresters and all the timber
that is to be cut will be taken in such
a manner as to guarantee the perpetu-
alton of the forests which furnish 1t.
"coId Steel" In Warfare.
day or two ago an order was is
sued, or an intimation was given that
II was to be issued. that the re-
cruits Of the new American army
would be taught the British bayonet
drill instead OF that which has been
In use In the American armies for
good many years. The reason is quite
plain.
The lessons of the present, war. in
which there has been an immense
amount of iand-to-hand lighting, have
taught the British that new feints and
cuts and thrusts with the bayonet-
tipped rifle are nn essential to success
The war has brought good many
changes In fighting methods. and the
change in the use of the bayonet has
not been the least OF them.
Field guns and the bayonet Will
win the war for America and for its
allies"
This is the word frequently spoken
by army men in Washington. OF
course. 1t takes no thought OF the pos
sibility Of success of the German sub
marine campaign. nor of the possibil-
| ity OF great German naval victory.
for these two results. vital from the
German point OF view. are considered
so remote Of accomplishment that they
do not enter into the military mans
| calculations.
Bayonet by No Means Obsolete.
II was only few years ago that the
military authorities OF the world came
to think that the bayonet as II weapon
OF onensc was becoming obsolete.
There has been IA complete reversal OF
opinion. The British and the French
nave won many n trench and innny u
hand-to-hand conflict In the open by
the use Of the bayonet. Bayonets nre
sruesome weapons. but they quickly
put an end to an opponents ambition
TO fight u he finds that he is out
pointed by his adversary In the use of
| Ihls I'm.