The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-04
MORE THAN TWO MILLION MEN IN AMERICAN FORCES HOME AND 0VERSEA Within IA Months Army Has Increased From 212,034
 to 2,170,400 SECRETARY OF WAR GIVES INFORMATION IN STATEMENT TO HOUSE Gun and Airplane Produc- tion Programme Is Now
 on Quantity Basis,
 He Says

Washington, July 3.-SuppIementing more than million American troops have already been shipped to France, Chairman Dent of the House military committee laid before the House today n review of war preparations during the h months of war, prepared by are now 160,4OO officers and 2,O1O OOO men with the colors, compared with 9524 officers and 2O2,51O men fin the regulars and national guard IA months Top because they want to go.
 The statement shows that 2S6 combat airrlanes had been delivered up to June s. and that the production rate of this 2oo0 Liberty motors had been delivered and the weekly production rate was 115 during the first week in June
 More than 300 heavy Browning ma- chine guns were delivered during May and the deliveries for that month of light Brownings totaled 1900.
 SUFFICIENT RIFLES
 sufficient rifles are now being re- ceived, the statement says, l"to equip an army division every three days. More than 1,S(o,o0o rifles had been produced and delivered up to June l."
 Speaking of the morale of the army in France, the statement says:
 ''Iu France it was necessary to change the name Of the zone behind the armies from the Service of the Rear to .Serv- ice of Supply because of the difficulty in getting men to serve in a region hay ing the shellproof connotation of the word rear
 Even at the actual front, there is something of tradition against the use of the term No Mans Land Our men prefer to cal it -, and to make it Yankee Land
 Mir. Baker said the commission of of personnel reports that "a surprisingly large proportion of re- cruits ask to be placed in the most ice.' and added:
 NATIONAL ARMY MORALE "If reply is needed to those who say that the men of the national army are in camr because they have to be, it is this:
 That those men are going over the top because they want to go'
 'Consensus of opinion is,'' continued the statement, that drunkenness in the array is completely under control, both in the United States and France. You may travel for weeks in France with out seeing an intoxicated American sol dier.
 "There is no cantonment military camp in the United States with a red light district in it's vicinity
 HEALTH I.I CAMPS GOOD
 The statement shows the death rate per thousand among all troops in the United States for the week ending June ' was ALA as against rate of 20.14 in the regular army in the United States in 1898; and 5.13 in 1916. Only June ,, the capacity of the hospitals In the United States was 72.667 beds with new hospitals with 14.667 beds under construction. The number of oase and general hospitals had been increased from ' to 72. with further increases impending. In France hos oital facilities are being provided for rom to 10 per cent of the whole eN ,editionary force, while the army hos oital corps is now composed of 24,000 and 14S,00 enlisted men, eX- elusive of the sanitary corps and army nurses.
 AIRPLANE PRODUCTION
 Deliveriesof of elementary training planes up to June s, MT. Baker said, -otaled 4495 and advanced training planes totalled SEQ The weekly pro- luction rate of advanced training planes was 7S on June $. To show how quantity production becomes effective, he statement said. sthe weekly produc- ion rate of combat planes was In April, 3S in May and 80 for week ending June 8. On that date also 7250 airplane machine guns had been 
 The most difficult undertaking in outfitting an army is the manufacture If heavy artillery the statement said Sixteen planes had to be provided to make mobile guns most of them built from the ground up.
 ARTILLERY PROGRAMME
 But the artillery programme. MT
  point where quantity production is be- ginning"
 The first of the four government shell-filling plants is now beginning to produce and number of private plants are loading shells. Solution of the problem of motorizing field artillery Ifs on the way" the statement said, adding that the immensity of the heavy guns has heretofore been a constant factor is slowing up the advance of troops.
 To illustrate the enormous work of the ouartermaster department. the fol- lowing purchases were noted: Two mill lion. five hundred and sixty-seyen thousand hammers 5.121.0o0 axes TO- S70.0o0 files. 1,7oO 000 halters 129,Goo escort wagons. 26000 comabt waGons, 339. 593 horses and mules: 27,249.Gc0 nairs of shoes 224O.000 pairs rubber hip boots, 1oS.02S. 900 yards demin cloth 104 333, 900 pairs stockings.
 There are now a5,000 Americans en- gagged on railroad construction and operation in France. and 22.000 stand- ard gauge freight cars and 1900 loco motives have been produced in this. country for service on the double track railroad from the French coast to the battle front. Additional purchases of both cars and locomotives have been made abroad
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