Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-02

can expeditfonary force. Tooay tnere
exists only the barest skeleton OF
structure. which its architects intend
will provide for every neeq OF .ne
great armies that will cross the At
lantic in the months to come Many
girders are not yet in place. There are
still many necessary rfvets lacking IN
the framework. But enough has oeen
done already. thanks to the swift et-
fciency of the builders and the ener-
getic cooperation of their French
to permit one to visualize
without difficulty the immensity OF II
all.
Plans Stun Imagination.
What I have seen is interesting, en-
sometimes impressive; what
1 expect to see a few months hence is
The plans which this
trip reveal to me stun the imagination.
If they are carried to completion, as
they will be, unless their authors ram
to obtain the wholehearted support they
ask of the people at home, the Ameri-
can lines communicating in France
and that means every thing pertaining
to the Army's requirements behind the
firing line-will be the most stupendous
a world at war has ever
seen.
1t will be an organization greater
than the French. because France has an
enemy in her front yard. and SO can
supply her poilus' needs from hundreds
of bases within a few hours Of the
British. because the British front is
separated from England only by the
narrow English channel:
greater than the German. because of
Germany's interior lines of communica-
ton.
The problem Gen. Pershing and the
men helping him here and at Washing
ton are working out is not confined
simply to getting supplies across the
ocean Equally difficult is the business
Of bringing the supplies ashore quickly
without dangerously congesting the
two or three ports assigned to the
Americans by the French government,
railroads or straining the
the interior Of the country. The arst of
these perils must be met by eniarging
the pier and warehouse accommoda-
tions At the ports. the second by lay
Of special roadbed: the third by Great
ing depots In every available spot on
30 vast a scale that they can never be-
come oyercrowded-
How System Must Work.
From the American front all roads
must necessarily lead to the harbors
to which come the transatlantic trans
ports. The lines must be as direct as
possible in order to avoid long railroad
hauling. This implies the maximum of
On the other hand. over
Is no town Or city in France big
enough comfortably to hold all the
supplies that will be required to feed
and munition q million men Therefore
ration reserves in another. medical
stores in a third and ammunition in
many others. All these places. how
ever, must be in or close to the belt
h0 fn he 6rfv
line. a good many hundred miles away.
The problem of finding bases grows
harder the nearer one gets to the front.
for the best locations naturally have
long since been pre-empted by the
French army. Nevertheless. the general
staff, in perfect harmony with the
French. weeks ago found a sufficient
number Of towns well suited by reason
to house all the fnnumerable services
behind the lines
The first town We visited on the tour
Just ended was one which will become
In American history as the
headquarters of the commander-in-
chief of tho first American troops to
light on European soil. The comforta-
BILE mansion in which 1t is likely Gen.
Pershing will live for many months.
perhaps years. was shown to us, as well
as the great buildings set at the dis
posal of his staff. For obvious reasons,
detailed descriptions of these struc-
lures are barred.
There is little to be said about them
n any event. They do not differ rad
cally from similar buildings in towns
II twenty or thirty thousand popula-
ion at home. save that there is less |
plumbing and better architecture. At
present they are being riddled with |
lpertures, through which hundreds of
and telephone wires will be |
strung in the next few days.
Great Bakeries and Refrigerators.
Many hours distant from the Amer
can great general headquarters" we
Ipent a night in the city which houses |
he Army bakeries and meat refriger-
Ltors. Every day long trains go out |
rom this place carrying thousands
lpon thousands of pounds Of bread and |
neat to the training camps. and every |
lay equally long trains roll in with |
resh provisions from maritime base.
hree days old. but baked from white
lour-the only pure white bread baked |
oday in any belligerent country in
europe. The reason 1t is white is that :
10 other kind of -four is being milled /
n the United States.
Another 150-mile jaunt brought US to
he quartermaster's department base.
vhere giant warehouses, turned over to /
fountains Of potatoes. canned goods,
obacco, clothing, boots and everything
lse the mind Of man has ever fgured
night be needed by American soldiers
I was pleasant to see French soldiers
nd working girls helping the men of
he Quartermaster Corps in the tre-
nendous task of sorting and arranging /,
uge piles of supplies. but found the
american officers eager for the day,
oubtless in the near future, when the
eed to call on the French for such aid
rill have ceased
"Of course. the French are delighted
D work with US and we with them"
n ofacer remarked. These girls
yould be out of a job If it was not for
mis-, because the French army estab-
shment in which they had been en-
loyed moved away, SO as to give us
nese storehouses. The girls get bet
sr pay, too, though they have to work
arder for it. But the point is, labor
mighty scarce In this country, and
70 don't want to ask France for any.
hing she needs herself. That is why
e all like to keep as close as possible
, the policy of doing everything for
Notwithstanding this an all-Amer- /
an army in every branch"
Building Operations Under Way.
I learned that the quartermasters' !
ase was chosen with the greatest care :