The Benson signal., 1918-04-13
February 5, when the British ship

France, have been found and 55 others
were still missing on March 16.
To secure an adequate number Of
| competent officers to lead the new
armies various plans were devised.
Two classes at West Point were grad
uated in advance Of the usual gradu-
ating dates and special examinations
were held in various parts of the coun-
| try for appointments from civil life.
| Three series of officers training camps
have been held. OF 63,2O3 candidates
| in the first two series of camps 44,57S
qualified and were awarded commits
sions. In the third series of camps,
opened January 5, 1918, about $4,000
candidates. consisting largely of en-
listed men, have been in attendance.
Corps Of Engineers.
At the beginning of the war the en-
gineer troops consisted of three regi-
ments of pioneer engineers, with
trains, one mounted company, one en-
gineer detachment at West Point. The
aggregate strength was approximate
ly 4,125 officers and enlisted men. At
present the aggregate authorized
strength is over 100000, with an act
ual strength of approximately 10000.
OF the special engineer units re-
cruited for service on railways and in
the maintenance Of lines Of communi-
cation, many are already in France
and others are awaiting recruitment
to full strength in order to be ready
for overseas service The first en-
gineer troops, LOO strong, to be sent
abroad, arrived in France about three
months after war was declared. Since
that time the number has been greatly
augmented. These troops have been
constantly engaged in general en-
gineering work, including the con-
struction Of railways, docks, wharves,
cantonments, and hospitals for the use
Of the American expeditionary forces.
They have, in some instances, in the
performance Of their duties, engaged
in active combat with the enemy.
Ordnance Department.
Since the outbreak Of war the
commissioned personnel Of tile ord
nance department has expanded from
81 officers, operating with yearly ap-
preparations Of about $14,OCO,O00 and
with manufacture largely confined to
government arsenals, to 5000 officers
in this country and abroad, transacting
an unprecedented war program for the
supply Of ordnance, the total direct
appropriations and contract authoriZa-
tiOns for one year having been $4,-
756,5O3, 1876.
While building the foundation for
greater production, the ordnance de-
partment has provided 100000 rifles;
has brought the rate of rifle production
up to $4,000 per week, sufficient to
equip three army divisions; secured
deliveries on more than 1900 ma
chine guns; brought the rate Of pro-
duction Of machine guns from 10000
to 525, 900 per year Increased the rate
of production of 31a-inch to 9-inch cali
Der guns from 1900 to $1,000 per year;
and has arranged for the manufacture
Of some $4,000 motortrucks and trac-
tors for hauling heavy guns and am
munition, which are being delivered
almost as fast as they can be shipped
One billion rounds of ammunition
has been purchased for the training
of troops in the cantonments alone.
An idea Of the extent of the ord
nance program may be gained from
the following few items Of purchase:
Twenty-three million hand grenades,
725,OOO automatic pistols, 250,OOO re-
volvers, 23,OO0,0O0 projectiles for all
calibers of heavy artillery, 427,246,OO0
pounds of explosives, 100000 machine
guns, and 2,4S4,00O rifles.
Quartermaster Corps.
The magnitude of the work of the
quartermaster corps is indicated by
the operation Of the subsistence divi-
sion, which is charged with the re-
sponsibility of seeing that food sup
plies for the army are available at all
stations from the Philippines to Lor-
raine. Purchases recently made in
cluded 100000 pounds dried beans,
116OOO,O0O cans baked beans Of the
1917 crop, 65,184,475 cans of tomatoes,
81 100000 cans Of condensed milk, and
&C, ,2S7 900 pounds of prunes.
The establishment of the subsistence
division centralized the purchases of
foodstuffs for the army, previous to
which such products were distributed
through the depot quartermaster. Eff
fective January 1, the central control
system has resulted in greater eff
cheney and big saving. In January,
for instance, 100000 was saved under
this system as compared with the
prices obtained by depot quartermas.
ters, and in February a saving Of
$39,740 was made on potatoes alone.
The central control system is still be-
ing perfected.
Production of 10000 new automobile
trucks is in progress for the army, in
addition to purchases Of $500 passen-
ger cars, 6,126 motorcycles, and 5,O4O
bicycles, with appropriate repair and
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