The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-20
AUTOMATIC TRAINS
ON DEVELOPMENT
IN AMERICAN ZONE
Wonderful Device for Keeping
Troops at Front Supplied
With Necessities of Food,
Clothing and Ammunition.

AMERICAN REGULATING BASE,
ADVANCE ZONE, France, Nov. 90
Correspondence of the Associated
Press)-The automatic train is one of
the strange devices which has sprung
out Of the war. and there is nothing
quite like it in the whole range Of rail-
way transportation. 1t has been devel-
oped by the American military authori-
ties here as one Of the necessities of
keeping up an automatic daily supply
Of food, forage and all requirements. to
every unit Of the American expedition
airy force in France. To do this with
unvarying regularity each day. so that
every man IN every division stretching
over a vast area along 800 miles OF
front, would have his daily needs sup
piled was a huge problem.
The only solution was to secure abso-
lutte uniformity, or a Standardization Of
trains, by which the makeup would be
automatic day after day. And out OF
this has come the automatic train OF
he American army, which Is n OF the
wonders OF American organization.
Watching the makeup of the auto
matte trains as they go forward to the
American divisions on the fighting front
IL Ike watching some gigantic jig-sAw
puzzle, for there Is the same fitting to-
gether of confused parts, until at last
all the pieces form a completed whole
Of 10 Of these so-called automatic
trains, SO cars to a train, each train
moving off to one Of the American d.
visions,
Here at a small interior village Of the
American advance force Is the center
from which the automatic trains move
out daily, The place is well forward
in the advance zone, Just far enough
away from the fighting to be out Of
reach Of hostile raids and yet near
enough, to permit the supplies to move
forward with the greatest facility.
Il was a sleepy village last October,
with 1000 inhabitants; today 1t is a
center Of intense activity, with. an
American working force of %, 000-l1
times, the population Il year ago-with
u miles OF yard trackage, as enormous
warehouses, and railways radiating TO
every point of the long front held wholly |
or in part by American troops. Last
month $4,000 cars were moved, or more
than 1000 a day, in this stupendous
stream Of supplies going forward to the
fighting forces.
Col, Hilgard, commanding officer, and
Capt. Bigger. regulating officer, ex-
planned the details Of these automatic
trains. and later there was an oppor-
tunity to see the trains assembled like
parts in a huge puzzle and started on
49, 'fF ~ Wv A'lAA# tIt bd6lh i'll |
which the automatic trains are made
up Is as follows:
Two cars Of refrigerated fresh beef,
TWO cars Of fresh bread, seven cars of
food comprised in the soldiers ration,
four cars Of fuel for cooking, IA cars OF
forage for horses, one car OF gasoline, |
mineral oil and lubricants for motors
one car for mail and packages.
These are the fixed and practically
.nparia6le elements OF each automatic
train. the same wants OF food and for
age being repeated day after day.
In addition each division has vary
ing wants OF clothing, ammunition.
medical supplies, etc, as 1t may be in
the midst OF the fighting or farther
back in a calmer section. These vary
ing elements are added to each train,
according to the needs of the division.
Thus, Is trains 20 out daily in Is d.
rectlons, each train having some 80 TO
80 cars in the fixed and automatic
makeup, and some Is or 20 cars with
the varying elements OF ammunition
medical supplies, clothing, etc, depend
eht on the proximity to the fighting.