Evening star., 1918-07-24

limits is maturing. and that by au-
for the registration of millions more
Americans to supplement those now
in the thick of the fight in France.
The shipping board feels more COM
Portable about the tonnage situa-
tion and is supplying the War De-
10 feed and equip the men on the
ether side.
8ut there arc serious difficulties In
eenneotian with what Ia known as the
1urn around" which is the length OF
time required to unload and re-em-
bark from European ports for Amer
lea and the time used to load and be-
come attached 70 convoys for Europe.
Although 1t Is true that our ships
are turning around much faster than
it ts also true that we have not yet
reached the point Of maximum eff
cency in that respect.
Foreigi Ports Choked.
Indeed. 1t appears that there is
tmuch that can yet be done to speed
tup, and only a careful examination of
charts and figures will show what a
tremendous amount of tonnage Is in
..volved Ia the turn around" French
and British ports are choked with
itraff1c. and 1t Is no easy job to unload
lsupplies-fer the shipping and land
ling Of men Is only about 16 per oent
of the task-but much time could be
isaved By better cooperation on con-
voys Just outside our ports
Our oWp Navy Is doing all that 1t
can, bu{ II is evident that improve
fnents feaA still be effected In its
Joint operations with the war vessels
Of Great Britain and France. If we
could save five days on 200 ships
every month 1t would be equivalent
to large gain in tonnage. Every
economy, Of this kind Is of paramount
Importance and the war council at its
regular meeting today devoted most
of its time to the turn around" prob
lem.
As more and more men are landed
In France and more cargo, space Is
required to feed them, the need for
better handling of the ships at the
seas in getting the conveys started
will become acute.
II Ia an evidence of the alertness Of
the war council that II should be at
tempting to urge upon our allies as well
as upon our Navy the revision, il neces-
sary, of present arrangements In the
hope of getting cargo vessels as well as
transports under way sooner and rid
ding the ships Of the men and supplies
they carry Just as soon as human labor
can 90 II Oh the othef size.
For many months IT has been felt that
the railway lines from ports Of en-
barkation to the front have been In
adequate and the allies have had to
route troops and supplies from the
United States through numerous ports
front
Much Improvement has been noted
In the last few months, but 1t 10 to
be hoped that on the French side OF
the ocean also there will be an In
cessant effort to accelerate the un-
loading procsss-
Critical Year Of War.
This. after all, is the critical year OF
. the war, when America hopes to get
her armies and supplies into France
offensive expected in the fall or to
participate in a general advance alona
the western front. Because one sig
nihcant lesson which recent events
has taught is that American troops
had better be trained on the Other
cantonments. Not only does trainine
proceed faster within sound of the biz
guns but the allied armies. with theiI
millions. OF veterans, are being re-
1uvenated by the presence Of 90 many
fresh troops from the United States,
tHe general oltuatlon can De viewed
with satisfaction. but the tasks ahead
are by no means less important than
those that have been achieved, The
success OF the American troops, has
been stimulus Of amazing proper.
tionsl and 1t is all the more remark.
able because. instead Of spreading q
feeling of overconfdence and twill.
soon-be- over spirit that would be fa.
tai, our whole war organisation here
seems to have been inspired to greater
zeal and greater effort to insure thu
ultimate. victory.