Evening star., 1918-11-21
AMER|CA'SFEATS
IN WAR Amazing
Nearly Two Million Men in
France Perform All Kinds
of Big Tasks.
ENGINEERS GREAT WORK

AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, Tuesday. November 10. (by
the Associated Press).-The extent OF
Americas military effort in France
at the time the armistice was de-
clared is shown by statistics which
the Associated Press now is permit
ted to make public. While the stu
pendous figures required to tell the
story are in themselves amazing. 1t
should be remembered that they show
only a part Of the great effort made
in war preparations in men. money
and material.
On the morning Of November II
the United States had in France 49,
3s1 officers and 1.ss1,376 men. a total
of almost 100000. AS has already
been announced. there were 100000
combat troops in the Argonne action.
This number does not include the
American units engaged on other
parts of the front.
More Than Manpower.
Manpower, alone. however. was but
one factor in the preparations for
American participation in the war.
Behind it lay vast machinery which
was required in operations. Railways
and motor roads were constructed
and across the sea were brought loco
motives, cars. rails and motor trans
port of every kind.
Behind this again were the requisite
food. clothing and general supplies
for the men. as well as dockage and
warehouse construction. Every ef-
fort of civil life plus the require
ments OF war was exerted.
The American Army has brought
over to France and has in operation
e67 standard-gauge locomotives and
1874 standard gauge freight cars of
American manufacture. In addition
1t has in service $50 locomotives and
973 cars of foreign origin. To meet
demands which the existing French
railways were unable to meet. S4s
miles OF standard-gauge railway were
constructed. Five hundred miles OF
this have been built since June /. On
top of this the department Of light
railways reports the construction of
lis miles of road and 40 miles of
German light railway repaired and
put in operation. Two hundred and
twenty-five miles Of French railway
were operated by the Americans.
Figures Are insufficient.
These figures represent ]. q fairly
pany, but railways represent only a
fraction of the transport effort. Mod
ern warfare is motor warfare, and it
is virtually impossible to present in
figures this phase of the work of the
American Army. In building new
ations required. in keeping French
roads repaired under the ceaseless
tide of war transport and in con-
structing bridges in devastated battle
regions American engineers worked
day and night. The whole region be-
hind the American lines is full of
typical road machinery. much of it OF
a character never before seen in Eu-
rope. To do this work the American
expeditionary forces had in operation
on November IL more than $1,000 mo-
tor vehicles Of all descriptions.
Even at the present stage of the
armistice. which may precede peace, it
is not permissible to hint at the vast
stores of munitions and armament
brought over and held in readiness
The Associated Press, however, is
allowed to give approximate figures
showing what has been accomplished
in the accumulation of food supplies.
1t will be seen that the American ex-
peditionary forces were in no danger
of being placed on short rations. had
the war continued, although the Amer
leans had promised the allies vast
quantities of food, in addition to their
own needs.
Rations Now on Hand.
In army terms one ration represents
the quantity of each article each man
is entitled to daily. It is Interesting
to note the supply Of some of the
principal ration components on hand
today. For instance, the Americans
alone, 1S3,oo0,000 rations Of flour and
flour substitutes. $4,000. 900 rations of
milk. 161.o0o,o00 rations of butter or
substitutes. 100000 rations Of su-
gar. S9.000.000 rations of meat, $4,000. :
900 rations of coffee and 113. .0OO. 900
rations of rice. hominy and other
foods. There are requisites such as
navorlngs. fruits. candy and potatoes
in proportion. while for smokers there
are 761,000.000 rations of cigarettes
and tobacco in other forms.
Army authorities point out that
these vast necessary supplies for the
Army represent food economies on the
part of the people at home. without
such economies the work would have
been virtually impossible, nor would
the Americans have been able to
promise certain of the allies great as
sistance in meeting their reuuiremants
during the winter. The Associated
Press is informed that the American
Army had engaged to give the French
100000 pounds of meat, $500. .OOO
pounds of beans, and rice -four and
milk in proportion. To the British
5000. 900 pounds of meat were prom-
ised, while the Belgians were assured
that they would receive 4.50O. 900
pounds of rations of all kinds.
Feats in Construction.
It is difficult to describe in exact
figures what the American exnedi-
tionary forces have done in the con-
struction and improvement of DOCK
age and warehouses since the first
troops landed. This work has been
proportionate to the whole EFFORT in
other directions. Ten steamer berths
have been built at Bordeaux. having a
total length Of 400 feet. At Monitor,
near St Nazaire, eight berths are un-
der construction with a total length
Of over 3,200 feet.
These, however, do not indicate the
magnitude Of the effort of the EnTi-
neer Corps. In this phase of Improve
ment to French ports great labor has
been expended in dredging operations.
repairing French docks and tncreas-
ing railway terminal facilities.
Warehouses having an aggregate floor
area Of almost $4,000. 900 square feet
have been constructed. This develop
ment of French ports increased facili-
~. - o,,rh an Ayfenf that .,a~ az 81 .