Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-06-15

Y
the total funds directly available fo
the department for the present fsca
year-$3, 3S3, 2S6,O45. Additional cor
tracts totaling $1,5O3, 7O3,741 have bee
entered into on the authority of con
gress pending appropriation Of Al
amount aggregating $1,671, t66. $50.
The magnitude of the task of tn
ordnance department financially is cvi
denced by the disbursement recently IL
single day of more than $25,OOO,ON
on ordinary contract vouchers. Dis
bursements for the month of April
1918. ran to 1856, 1884, 1853. an interesting
amount as compared with the $5.O59,
264 disbursed by the ordnance depart
ment in April. 1917. These disburse
ments were made at the ordnance Of
flee in Washington. Amounts dis
bursed at government arsenals are moi
included.
One check recently drawn by the ord
nance disbursing officer for ordnance
material was for $18,75O,OO0. One re-
QUESTION made recently by this same
officer on the treasury was for $780,
100000. This is the largest single requi-
sition ever made by any United States
disbursing officer.
Prior to two months ago, before the
ordnance department established its IL
district offices which z0ned the country
to expedite payments to contractors
and relieve the strain upon the main
office in Washington. the disbursing
officer at Washington signed from 500
to 5000 checks a day.
Because of the instruction Of gas Of
camps for the last six months, the
troops which are going forward to
France are well posted on methods Of
combating gas attacks, says a state
nent authorized by the war depart
ment. A group of British gas officers
has been in this country since last
summer. One of these men has been
at each Of the training camps, advising
and assisting the division gas officer.
All the men going overseas are sup
piled with gas helmets. Under the di->
vision gas officers and their assistants.
the men are drilled in the use Of
masks, taught how to detect the pres
ence of gas. and given actual expert
ence with different sorts Of gases.
Mimic gas shells and cloud attacks,
used often at night in connection with
high explosives. help to make the train
ing realistic.
The United States has been able to
build on the experience of the British
and French. to whom gas attacks were
unknown when they entered the war.
No American troops have been sent to
the front without practical experience
in defending themselves against gas.
The training of instructors in gas de-
Tense includes course Of about one
month. Most of the gas officers are
first lieutenants.
One of the interesting developments
of the war. according to statement
by the war department, is
the rapid expansion of the various bu-
rcaus Of the war department. At the
outbreak of the war there were less
than 5000 employees on duty. The
number now is approximately $4,000,
an increase of 800 per cent. While this
represents tremendous expansion.
the increase in the army itself has been
more than 1900 per cent.
Only four out of every 100 officers
in the service were in the army at the |
time the war began.
The gas defense service is now manu-
featuring about 5000 horse gas masks |
Ger day. These are being sent to
France, and it is expected that within |
, short time every horse connected |
With the American expeditiOnary !
forces will be equipped with the new |
masks.
The gas defense. service has q COM |
Dletely equipped factory for the manu-
facture of the masks. In less than |
hree weeks building was selected |
md the factory was producing masks.
The introduction of riveting machinery
has done away with the heavy hand
sewing Of the frame which supports
he masks on the faces Of the horses.
The masks are so constructed that no
METAL or chemically impregnated parts
AN chafe the horse.
In Bavaria the monthly meat ration
has been cut 20 per cent-frOm 1000
o 800 grams-according to German
The monthly meat ration
n Saxony has been reduced from 800
% 100 grams. Public officials are re-
ported in the PrusSian press as discus
sing the possibility of a further reduc-
ion Of the bread ration in Prussia.
A Munich paper reports that from
he beginning of the war to March 1,
1913, Bavarian hog stocks have de-
.reased from 2.1O6.312 to 766.391 head.
The Danish hog census shows de-
'rease from 1861 900 hogs July II.
9l7. to $4,000 December 5, 1917, or
decrease Of One-third the number at
he beginning of the war.
The restriction on the importation of
rude rubber has been followed by re-
'trictions on importation of four COM
possessing some Of the char
lcteristics Of rubber. and capable I'M
Ter some circumstances of being used
is substitutes for natural rubber.
Acting on n suggestion Of General
an order has been issued in
reasing each regiments band from IS
o so members. Band leaders having
lad more than five years military ex-