The Tomahawk., 1918-04-11

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-
xineer 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-
cr1ited for service on railways and In
the maintenance of lines Of communi-
cation, many are already In France
and others are awaiting recruitment
to fell strength in order to be ready
for overseas service. The first en-
gineer troops, 1,10O 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-
cheering work, including the con-
struction of railways, docks, wharves,
cantonments, and hospitals for the use
Of the Awerican expeditronary 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 the ord
nance department has expanded from
81 officers, operating with yearly ap-
preparations Of about $14,OOO,OO0 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,-
756,5O3,185.
The ordnance storage properties
embrace separate warehouse buildings
and miles of railroad siding, all COM
pretended within the depot premises,
which are inclosed by electrically
charged wire barriers and lighted and
patrolled with unremitting vigilance.
One of these depots. now under con-
struction, will include, 100 separate
buildings and so miles 81 railroad spe-
cially built to serve the depot's needs.
The supply division of the ordnance
department handles material amount
ing to approximately 10000 carloads a
month.
While building the foundation for
greater production, the ordnance de-
partment. has provided I 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 225, 900 per year increased the rate
of production Of 31A-inch to 9-inch cali
ber guns from 1900 to $1,000 per year;
and has arranged for the manufacture
Of some $4,000 metertrucks 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,
725OOO automatic pistols, 25OOOO re-
volvers, 23,OOO,OOO projectiles for all
calibers of heavy artillery, 427, ,246,0OO
pounds Of explosives, 100000 machine
guns, and 2,4s4,OOO rifles.
The ordnance problem, however, is
no less one of quality than Of quantity
production. The American soldier is
being provided with weapons which
give him an additional safeguard to
life and a further guaranty of victory.
Achievements Of the ordnance de-
partment include the Browning ma
chine rife, model of 1918, and the
Browning machine gun, heavy type,
model Of 1918, production of the for
mer now being on a quantity basis by
machine process, while similar produc->
ton of the heavier type is imminent.
The heavy Browning machine gun,
water cooled, in government test
fired 10000 shots in 4S minutes and
16 seconds without malfunction.
Quartermaster Corps.
The magnitude Of the work Of the
quartermaster corps is indicated by
the operation Of the subsistence dlvi-
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,
116,OOO,OOO cans baked beans Of the
1917 crop, 65,1s4,475 cans Of tomatoes.
$1,000, 900 cans of condensed milk, and
2O,2S7 900 pounds of prunes.
The establishment of the subsistence
division centralized the purchases of
foodstdffs for the army, previous to
which such products were distributed
through the depot quartermaster. Eff
foc%ivo Jon,,arv tho central control