South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-17

GIEVRES. CENTRAL FRANCE,
Sept. To-day "a forest. tomorrow
building. the next day "a work
shop
This is the way the astonished
French people describe how the
Americans have suddenly construct
ed a huge establishment here, turn
ing what was "a pine forest into
warehouses and then turning these
into vast and busy centers for the
huge mass of army supplies on the
way to the front.
Gievres is sort Of halfway
point midway between the coast
and the firing line, and is the cen
trial supply depot of tie intermediate
zone. Here things are sorted and ar
ranged as they come pell-meu from
the ocean ports, in vast miscellane-
Gus masses just out Of the holds of
steamers. food guns, clothing.
barbed wire, medicine. carrier
pigeons. refrigerated beef. rolling
kitchens, and all the conglomoration
of supplies needed by a million men.
Everything must be in order before
! Il goes forward 10 the advance zone
here the lighting is going on, and
( this is where the order is brought
out of the seeming chaos in this
tidal-wave Of army goods sweeping
| i'm from America.
Giant Baseball Diamonds.
The Gievres depot has been laid
i'm a elongated diamond shape. and
compared to u baseball diamond, 1t
is seven miles from the home plate
to second base, and two miles across
from first TO third base. Within this
enormous diamond are so huge
warehouses and scores Of other
buildings. some of them Of unpre-
cedented magnitude. one OF these is
a refrfgerating plant rivalling those
in the Chicago meat district. When
We went into il today il had over
10.OOO.000 pounds of frozen beef
enough to feed 100000 men 20
days
This is only one detail of the vast
depot Of the intermediate zone with
D y
stacked with soldiers food, soldiers
clothing. ammunition and ordnance
stores Of all kinds. medical supplies,
soldiers libraries furnished by the
American Library association. and
all the Y. NJ. g. A supplies sent
10 its countless branches for every
thing for the army is conferred here
before IL goes forward 20 the men.
The yards are on the same vast
scale as the warehouses with stocks
OF coal half a mile long and so feet
high-a comforting assurance for
the warmth Of the troops next win
4 ter-aud miles of baled nay for ar
tillery horses ShOvels and wheel
( barrows We're piled up like mountain
{ haystacks The well-boring ma
/ chinery hlling one park made it look
like a Pennsylvania oil region. An
other park had camoufiage material
f Another had stacks OF building pa
per for sheathing barracks.
Pontoons to Come Later
Pontoons and bridges and az the
Z material for crossing rivers viii
come along in due time. for it was
pointed out that this viii be needed
\ TO cross the Rhine
I Along one side of the depot 500
cars were bringing in this huge
I stock OF war material just as il came
from the ships. and on the other
side 800 cars we're taking il away 20
f. the advance zone after il has passed
through the processes of arrange
, ment-each train standard train
with a fixed space for each article
OF the soldiers food ration. each ar
. ticle OF clothing, ordnance. and all
/ The requirements along the lighting
front which have 70 be kept up day
after day with uufaning regularity
one whole depot was devoted 90
/ the new devices FOR gas attacks. de-
fensive and offensive. with great
/ stocks Of gas-lnasks. ana The gas it.
I self. and quantities Of phosphorus
and disinfectants go sprinkle
trenches ana camps after tho deadly
mustard gas has been jon The air.
Medical supplies reQure no build
'ugs Tor cots. ltters. mattresses,