Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-11

applied themselves to this undertak
ing, and the results demonstrate the
success of their efforts"
NINE MONTHS INCREASE.
The secretary gave the committee
an outline of the work Of the depart
ment and it's various bureaus.
ION the first day of April, 1917, the
regular army" he said, comprised
5,791 officers and 1897 enlisted men =;
the national guard in federal service,
approximately 1888 officers and 1918
enlisted men, and the reserve, 1000 en-
listed men.
"There were also at that time ap.
proximately 2,573 officers in the re.
serve. On the 31st day of December,
1917, the regular army consisted of
10,250 officers and 475,0OO enlisted
men; the national guard, 16,031 officers
and 400,900 enlisted men, the national
army of 100000 men, and the reserve
of 84,575 officers and 72,750 men. In
other words, in nine months the in.
crease has been from 1924 officers to
110,S56 officers and from 202,510 men
to 1,42S,650 men.
DRAFT LAW is SUCCESS.
"A substantial part Of our military
forces was selected by the operation
of draft law the execution of which
has demonstrated both the economical
and the efficient way of selecting SOL
diers. The law itself was drawn, its
execution carried to a successful con-
clusion and the theory of the law,
novel to our people, explained and
made popular because of its demon
strated fairness both in plan and exc
cution.
For the training of officers two Sc
ries of training CAMPS were held from
which about $4,000 officers were COM
missioned from civil life. This num-
Der is nearly eight times as great as
the number of officers in the regular
army on the first day of April.
ARMY DEATH RATE LOW.
"For the training of these soldiers,
sixteen environments have been built
costing $134,OO0,0O0 with an average
profit to the contractors of 2.98 per
cent. The death rate in our forces in
the United States from mid-Septem-
Der to the end of December averaged
rs per thousand and is slightly less
than would have been the death rate
of men of the same age at home. In
1898 the death rate per thousand was
2O.14 or nearly three times as great.
Our death rate in the army during the
year 1916, just before the war, was S
per thousand. Leaving out the deaths
due to measles and its complications,
our rate among all troops in the Unit.
ed States since September 1 has been
about 2 per thousand.
For the fiscal year 1915 congress
for the war department
s158 100000; for the fiscal year 1916,
5000 100000; for the fiscal year 1917,
s403 100000; for the fiscal year 1918,
1887, 33S,71e.
BIG SUM FOR WAR.
OF the total war department appro-
priations for 1918, $3,200,000,o00 was
for the ordnance department Of which
contracts amounting to 1885,, 900, 900
already have been placed.
"On the first day of April, 1917, the
ordnance department consisted of 81
officers while now it
consists of 1904 officers, and, in addi-
lion, has 26,12O enlisted personnel.
"In addition to the selection and
Of this new force, the making
Of these great contracts and the fol-
ow-up necessary in the manufacturing
processes, continuous study of new
weapons and instrumentalities has
3een kept up, constant contact kept
With trained men abroad studying the
operation of ordnance material in
,attle and accordingly modifying de-
;igns and plans here by reason of OBJ.
ervations and experience.
MUCH NEW EQUIPMENT.
MANY of the classes Of ordnance
material requiring to be designed,
drawn and contracts let
we're wholly unfamiliar to our normal
military practices. The trench war.
are material alone involves commit
nents of $2S2,000,OG0.
MANY of the ordnance departments
ontracts involve increase Of plant ia.
ilities, or the construction of new
'lants, and constant inspection by in
pectors who have had to be trained /
n specially established schools.
For the quartermaster generals
department., in 1918, $3,01S,000,00 !
vas appropriated.
BIG CONTRACTS AWARDED. !
ION the first day of April there
we're SAT officers in the quartermasterl
orps. On the first day of January,
91S, there was a total of 6,431 Of
icers.
"On the first day of January, 1918,
early $2,O0O,O0O,0O0 of the appropria.
ion had been obligated by contracts,
r disbursements.
"This business involved accounting,
determinations of standards, prices,
Quantities and the creation OF new
facilities.
"In the wooden goods section alone,
be cooperation of 300 mills was in
olved, and the following item gives
ONE idea of the extensive character
f the operations: There have been
urchased over 100000 blankets, :,
9, 100000 yards of overcoating and
yer 3O,OO0,00O yards each of shifting
annel and suiting, involving an ex-
enditure of over $345,o00,000. In cot
On goods the department had con-
racted for 250,0O0,00O yards Of vari-
us cotton clothing.
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