The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-07-12
Weekly War News Digest

treated chemically to get rid of d.
sease germs. The pure water is
pumped into tanks mounted on trucks,
which carry Che water to the soldiers.
Each mobile water unit carries an
expert chemist, bacteriologist, and
pump man. There is complete lab
oratory in the front of the machine
for the testing Of the water. Tests
are made every two hours or more Of
ten when it is thought necessary. The
water is lifted into the filter by a
gasoline pump engine, and complete
supply of extra pipes and tools are
carried so that all repairs, either from
accident or shell fire, can be made on
the spot. The trucks are equipped
with electric lights so that the work
can be carried on at night. Many of
the chemists and psychologists as
signed to the mobile laboratories were
formerly connected with municipal wa
ter works and filtration plants.
Conscientious Directors Decide to Go
Into Fighting Branches.
Conscientious objection to military
service may be brushed aside by
friendly argument and reason the
War Department learns through re-
ports from Maj. Richard C. Stoddard,
Judge Julian w. Mack, Chicago, and
Dean Harlan F. Stone, Columbia Uni
versity Law School, a board designed
by Secretary of War Baker to confer
personally with such DIRECTORS at the
training camps.
At Camp Gordon, Atlanta, there
was an unusually large number of
men segregated as DIRECTORS. Kindly
logic used by the special board result
ed in IL of the number accepting nom
combatant service, and IL withdrew
objection or announced they had mis-
understood the original questions.
The board accepted as sincere the
convictions of 20 members of relig-
ious denominations opposed to any
form, of military service and recon-
mended them for furlough at pri.
Yates pay. There was doubt in four
cases and the board recommended the
men be sent to Fort Leavenworth for
further examination.
Fifty-four men failed to convince
the board of their inability to take up
military service without violation Of
their consciences and must accept ser.
vice specified for them by the colu-
manding officer or stand court martial.
Eight claimed to be citizens of enc
my countries but had no way of sub
stantiating their claims and it was
held should not be so classed. The
board failed to examine four others
who were in a hospital.
More Small Arms for Expeditionary
Forces; Production Cost Drops.
German timidity before American
pistol fighters armed with American
.45 caliber automatic pistols has
brought about change in the equip
ment of the American Expeditionary
Forces by the War Department, and
the Ordnance Department is rushing
production of these weapons. About
5000 are turned out daily and pro-
duction is increasing. The impression
exists that shot from an American
as takes a man out of action COM
pletely. Men hit from the smaller
German pistols frequently continue in
action effectively. The As caliber
was adopted by the United States
Army in 1911.
Despite the heavy increased de
mand for these pistols the ammuni-
ton branch of the Ordnance Depart
ment has effected saving during the
past two calendar months of nearly
$2,000,000, mostly on small arms am
munition, such as AS caliber ball car
tridges, 80 shells, and on clips and
bandoleers.
The total savings by the Ordnance
Department for these two months
through salvage, waste prevention,
and the utilization or sale of discard
ed materials have aggregated S.
757,025. Cost of Vickcrs machine
guns has been reduced $322.35 each;
Colt machine guns, $2S4.16 each; Lew
is machine guns, $22 each. Govern
ment rifles now cost $22 each, a re-
ducticn of $13 each.