The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1918-01-04
Over 200 Ships viii Be Required
Constantly to Supply the
American Force.
GREAT AREA FOR Sea BASE
Estimated That 100 Pounds of Freight
Per Man Per Day Must Be Un-
loaded at the Port of De-
barkation.
CHARLES II. GRASTY.
New York Times.


London. - The American army in
France will need some transporting.
Here are figures that are at least APP
proximately correct.
1t is estimated that 100 pounds Of
freight per man per day must be un-
loaded at the porr of debarkation.
Therefore, when at the end of two
years, we have, say, one million men
in France, we must unload daily 100,-
100000 pounds Of freight, or $4,000
tons.
Three thousand tons can be I'M
hence II ships at the wharves, each of
them unloading 5000 tons, will fill the
requirements. In the United States
II ships must be loading 10000 tons a
day. This makes q total of "a ships
at the docks. Taking as a basis g.
900 ton dead weighO ship, we see
that II ships must leave New York ev-
cry two days and II ships leave some
French port every two days in tran
sit with army freight. Assuming ten
days as the time of passage, there
would be ITO ships $4,000 tons) en-
route to and from the United States,
which, added to the "a at the docks,
will make total OF 2O4 ships, assum-
ing no loss or delay.
Enormous Supplies Needed.
To indicate the quantities of GER
tain articles required, fuel for cooking
fAv ct he cd Of hn1f N
cord per day per hundred men, would
amount to 1880 cords. Owing to
scarcity of fuel part of this may have
to be brought to France.
With 100000 men, there will be ap-
proximately 100000 animals. At IA
pounds of hay a day, there would be
required for six months over 456000,-
600 pounds of hay, which must he i'm
ported, and also 360000.O00 pounds of
oats. Rations will require S15,000,000
pounds. Ammunition will run into bill
lions of pounds.
This freight calculation does not
consider what would be required in
building or rebuilding railroads or can
tonments. The space required for store
housing at the base would be about "a
follows: Rations, etc. $50 acres; fuel,
80 acres; forage, $50 acres; remount
depots, $50 acres; environments for cas-
uals, etc., 800 acres sick and wounded
1000 acres; engineer, ordnance, and
signal corps, 1900 acres. Allowing for
roads, office buildings, barracks, etc.,
the total would be about 5000 acres.
Confusion in Figures.
Always there is considerable confu-
sion about shipping figures. There Is
no one on this side Of the Atlantic, so
far as I am able to find out, who can
tell precisely the difference between a
gross and net ton. AS matter OF
fact. net tonnage is not fixed term.
In referring to submarine sinkings,
gross tons are always used, together
with the English reckoning of 2,240
pounds to the ton. In general way
cargo carrying space Is figured In cubic
feet and then divided by 100 to get
gross tonnage. Displacement Is quite
another matter. That kind Of tonnage
means the weight of the ship itself, as
/ understand IL. although the word
suggests the weight of the water dis
placed by the ship. Those who follow
the submarine news should bear In
! mind that tonnage given Is gross and
that weight of cargo Is not included.