The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-07-18
AMERICAN ARMY
BEST EQUIPPED
Statement of Wendell EndicOtt
Who Also Says 1t Is Best Fed.

son & Co., and son of H. B. Endicott,
has returned from France and England
and says to the Boston News Bureau:
1.-The American army is the best fed,
the best clothed. and the best equipped
of all the fighting forces in Europe.
What is being done in the line of
preparation by the American forces of
construction from the French seaports
to the front line trenches is most aston
ishing. You see our men building not
only railroads and thousands of miles Of
telephone and telegraph wires, but
working on the highways and putting
in enormous warehouses and supply
bases, the like of which has never be-
fore been seen in Europe.
"Our men and motors and their sup
plies, guns, and munitions are in motion
on the other side in manner to make
any American feel proud. There is no
slackerism there or anywhere else in
France.
Outside the devastated war zone,
France is still garden of fertility, al
though no Frenchmen can be found in
farm or field. The world must take off
its hat to the women of France. With
the assistance of the children and few
old men they have planted all the crops
of France and cultivated all the fields
and kept the lines in the vineyards and
gardens straight and free from weeds;
and they have besides put armies of
women in the factories, not only for
light work, but the heavy machine
work.
mo man can call upon the men or
women of France to do more. They
are doing everything possible and they
will do it to the end. England has still
reserve power. 1t is a mistake to say
that France is all in. What is meant
is that she is all in it.
MIR. Endlcott was selected by the
Washington authorities as commissioner
to make special report on shoes and
leather, shoe fittings, sizes, repairing
and salvage; also on leather gloves,
mittens and coats, wooden gloves,
artics. oil skins. rain coats. etc.
He has just filed his reports at
Washington upon all these with recon-
mendations, but dose not feel at liberty
to discuss them.
The new Pershing trench shoe is now
being made in quantity and shipments
have begun. Of this Mr.. Endicott says:
The Pershing is the strongest and
| best army shoe that has even been con-
| structed in shoe history. 1t is the best
/ because 1t is not only the strongest and
most seruiceable, but is fitting and com
Portable. With its hob nails pair will
weigh about 50 pounds.
Our men haYe already had experience
IN our emergency purchases of French
and English army shoes, and in every
instance they are glad to get back even
to our primary American army shoe,
over which the Pershing is great i'm
prOvement, especially in water proofug
and wearing qualities.
/ The shoes of all the armies will
hereafter be hob-nailed. The British,
after four years in war, have concluded
to come to hobnails, and haYe just given
orders to this effect.
German shoes show that leather
must be scare with them. They are
using wooden lifts in the heels and
wooden pegs instead of nails p"
Questionable you see the Red Cross
and Y. M. C.. A. work?
Answer MY investigation was not
in that line, but you can't help seeing
the useful Y. M. C. A huts everywhere,
and the Red Cross is an army in itself.
Each of these auXiliaries has its special
| field. What impressed me was that
the Salvation Army work at the front
was particularly well spoken of
Were you in any real danger on your
mlssion?"
"Oh, don't know. You have to do
your work in the war zone without much
thought of that. launching at the
British headquarters in beautiful old
French chateau, | was astonished to
find that appetites and conversation
continued right along when the Huns
began dropping their shells all around.
although it sounded to me as though
those shells were being dropped right at
our front door.
''ln Paris it seemed strange to 60
down to breakfast and find everybody
about his regular duties, when the big
gun at the time | was there was send
ing its shells into the city with clock
like regularity every fifteen minutes,
from six O'Clock in the morning until
one O'Clock IN the afternoon. OF course
couldn't be alarmed when nobody else
was.
81 flew in an aeroplane that could go
higher than any German plane, %, 600
feet, but of course | didn't fly that high.
That type of plane moves in V flocks in
birdlike order with leader; and no Ger
man planes dare attack them when in
their mass formation, they are so well
organized, powerful and quick in their
movements. If one drops behind, the
Boches will go for it just as the wolves
attack dog that drops away from the
pack.
''Of course had to investigate our
shoes in the mud and slippery walks of
the trenches. The Huns seemed to
have discovered our party, but their
shells only mud-spattered the automo-
bile we left behind the trenches as we
passed through the front lines and into
a lictapipn most in No Mor,a TonJ