Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-11

times as great as the 1918 approprist .ons
Tor all governmental purposes. z
ION the first day of January s@l91S
nearly two billion dollars IF The Appro-
priation had been obligated by con
tracts. or disbursements" said the secre-
AIRY. This business involved account
ing. determinations OF standards, price
Quantities and the creation of new manu-
featuring facilities.
In the wooden goods section alone,
the co-OpeAtiOn Of over 500 mills was
involved. and the following item gives
some idea OF the extensive character OF
the operations There have been pur-
chased over 100000 blankets. 10000
GOO yards of Overcoating. and over 30
000. 900 yards each OF shifting flannel
and suiting. involving an expenditure of
over $4,000. 600 yards of various cotton
cloths
The aviation section of the signal
rorps on the first day Of April, 1917, con-
sisted Of sixty-five Officers and l,12O
men. Mr.. Baker said on the first day
Of January, 1918. ii consisted of $500
officers and s2.12O men.
This division of the war department
was charged BY congress with the eK-
iendiIure Of an appropriation aggregat
ing for 1915. s744. 200. 900. or five times
the entire 1915 appropriation for the en-
tire war department
The engineer department. for which
in 1917. S53.000.0O0 was appropriated,
was charged by the 1915 appropriation
with the expenditure Of $3.50. GOO. 900, or
about 200 per cent increase
There have been organized: trained
and equipped. techEcaI troops of forest
ers. stevedores and railroad construction
oh
Ia. 600. many of whom have been oper-
ating in France for some months" he
continued
In summing up the war department.
work the secretary gave the following
as its chief accomplishments:
Summary Of Results
"VD-A large army is in the field and
in training; so large that further incre-
ments 70 it can be adequately equipped
and trained as rapidly as those already
in training can be transported
"Iz1-The army has been enlisted ana
selected without serious dislOcatiOn OF
the Industries of the country.
"Csl-The training of the army is pro-
ceeding rapidly. and its spirit is high
The subsistence of the army has been
above criticism: its initial clothing sup
ply. temporarily inadequate, IS now sub
stantially complete, and reserves vii
rauIdIy accumulate. Arms of the mOst
modern and effective kind-including ar
tiIiery. machine guns, automatic rifles
and small arms-have been provided by
manufacture or purchase for every sol
der in France, and are available foI
every soldier who can be gotten q
France in the year 1918.
"CD-A substantial army is already in
France, where both men and officers have
been additionally and specially trained
and are ready for active service.
sC5)-Independent lines of communica
ton and supply and vast storage and
other facilities are in process OF con
structfon in France
"(s)-Great programs for the mann
facture of additional equipment and for
the production OF new instruments OF
war have been formulated"
The secretary declared there were
two exceedingly significant figures in
his statement. namely. that on the first
day of April the ordnance department
consisted of ninety-seven officers and
the uuartermaster generals department
of 347 officers, while they now respec-
lively comprise 3.OO4 and s, 43l officers
There was no ready trained body OF
men in the country who could have been
selected suddenly TO assume the highly
technical and specialized work OF these
two divisions" he said
Men OF somewhat similar training
had to be chosen A. the work pro-
ceeded. subdivision and re-suO-divisiOr
became possible
'On December Is, / was, therefore
tn q position 10 announce general re-