The Nevada County picayune., 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- 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 communl- cation, many are already in France and others are awaiting recruitment to full strength Tn order to be ready for overseas service The first en- gineer troops. HOO 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 the ord nance department has expanded from 97 officers, operating with yearly ap- propriati0ns of about S14,00000O 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 S4- 756 503,1S5.
 The ordnance storage properties embrace separate warehouse buildings and miles of railroad siding, all com prehended 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 90 miles of railroad Spe- cially built to serve the depots 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 1 100000 rifles; has brought the rate of rifle production up to 45,O00 per week. sufficient to equip three army divisions; secured deliveries on more than 1700O ma chine guns; brought the rate of pro duction of machine guns from 10000 to 225,000 per year; increased the rate of production of 312 inch to 9-inch cali Der guns from 300 to 1000 per year: and has arranged for the manufacture of some 3500O motortruckS and trac- tors for hauling heavy guns and am intuition, 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, 725,0O0 automatic pistols 25o. 900 re vOlvers. 23.0O000o proieetiles for all calibers of heavy artillery, 427 246,O0o pounds of explosives, 1000 machine guns. and 21e4,Ooo rifles.
 The ordnance problem however k no less one of quality than of quantity production. The American soldier k being provided with weapons which give him an additional safeguard to life and a further guaranty of victory
 Achievements ef the ordnance de partment include the Browning ma chine rife. model of 1918, and the Browning machine gun, heavy type model of IBIS, production of the for mer now being on q quantity basis by machine process, while similar Pr3due- ton of the heavier type K imminent
 The heavy Browning machine gun. water cooled in government test fired 10000 shots In 4S minutes and ID StNbilN N llllbul tlNii ullt tllu.
 Quartermsster Corps.
 The magnitude of the work of the quartermaster corps is indicated ny the operation of the subsistence divi- sion. which Is charged with the re sponsibiIity of seeing that food sup plies for the army are available at jll stations from the Philippines to LOT raine Purchases recently made iu- cluded 4O0n.O0O pounds dried beans. 1160e0,000 cans baked beans of the 1917 crop, 611S4475 cans of tomatoes 910oo.ooo cans of condensed milk. and 20,2S7, GOO pounds of prunes.
 The establishment of the subsistence division centralized the purchases of foodstufrS for the army previous to which such products were distributed through the depot Quartermasler. Ef- fectiye January 1. the central control system has resulted in greater eff