Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-01-06
SUPPLIES FOR ARMY
HANDLED BY SYSTEM
England Sets an Example Re-
garded as Worthy of Ameri-
can Emulation.
RATED 'ABSURDLY SIMPLE

RATED 'ABSURDL1 SIMPLE
BY HERBERT COREY.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN
THE FIELD, December 3,-Not long
ago I had a talk with an American stan
officer. He must be a valuable and IN
teIligent officer-it is demonstrably Ger
tain that he must be-beca"se he is
a professional soldier and is on the
staff.
why don't you so over to the Brit
fish front and look at the manner In
which the worthy islander handles his
army stores?" ] asked.
Right afterward l was sorry I asked
1t. A mere civilian usually is sorry
when he tries to make helplui SUE
xestion to a soldier-a professional
soldier that is-and, anyhow, 1t was
made clear to me that my suggestion
was of the hog -and-hominy order when
offered to q man who had been raised
on quail.
Wanted to See Fighting.
What should I want to see their
stores for?" he asked. His eyes shone
with a martial ardor and his breast
pushed belligerently against his sam
Browne belt His teeth clicked saw
sgely. Il want to go over there ana
see them fight" said he.
But some one ought to go over 10
the British front and observe the man
ner in which they have reduced the
handling of army stores to complete
system. 1t is not that l wish even DIM
ly to suggest that we have not COM
plete system in our own managemeie
or Army stores. And If any one aueges
that / have ever even thought that
we are paying two prices for most OF
the stuff we are buying over here
two prices more than we would natu-
rally have to pay because we had-1o
have 1t in a hurry repel the sugses-
ton in utter scorn.
Only-the British manner of handling
stores is nth examining. II IS even
worth studying. It fills one with awe.
and would say that it fills an American
with envy, except that such a statement
might be misunderstood. 1t is simple and
easily handled and economical and bust
fmpracticable to use that excellent word
efficient in describing it. But we had
better not Later on we may have occa-
sion to use that word ourselves.
British System Is Simple.
A mere nothing. So absurdly simple
that one wonders how it was ever dis
covered. 1t is merely to have a place for
everything and have everything in its
place-and always be ready to fill orders
for goods. That latter Is the stupendous
thing about the British system Instead
of, we will say. sending lot Of shiny new
automobiles of a perfectly unknown pat
tern over to France and not sending any
spare parts along. there is some genius in
the British organization who has been able
ing pack mules without pack saddles and
wagon mules without harness, he has ac-
tuaiiy coupled these items and provided
against what may happen. That sort OF a
thing is genius. can say these things
frankly and generously, because am
citizen of nation to whom organization
comes natural Foresight is eating out of
our American hands
Send USE SO many guns today" was
an order received at a British store
house.
today. as per kind order might have
been the reply that went ont that
afternoon. Hoping for a continuance
of past favors. we shall endeavor to
merit IT"
This gun incident is selected for the
telling because il there is one thing
a storekeeper might be forgiven for
being out of 1t is guns. He might
he were short OF shoes or blankets
or eating tobacco or the markings or
canned beans-though some folks do
get away with it-but to be out of
war. But the storekeeper had the
guns. i saw them. the reserve stock
Of guns. corded up all over the place
like stovewood back of farm kitchen.
That is no figure of speech. The bar
reis of the guns were corded-cross-
wise-three layers deep Other guns
were mounted. And there were other
guns and other guns
Makes Record as Discoverer.
Best Of almost wonderful of all
was the quality of foresight displayed
II came on one sort of reyeIa-
ton. One felt like Joseph Smith dis
covering the golden plates of the Book
OF Mormon out back of the barn.
Somewhere in this British organiza-
ton is a man who can actually reach
right into the future. II must be that
every little while he retires into the
great silence and communes with him
self. and puts this fact on top OF that
1act until he reaches a conclusion
winter is coming on" he says to
himself Winter weather is cold
Cold weather chiils the soldiers How
can chilled soldiers be kept warm"
And so MIR. Atkins In the trenches