Middletown transcript., 1918-06-22
ARTILLERY NEARLY
ALL IS MOTORIZED
AMERICAN ARMY TO &C, FURTHER
IN THIS RESPECT THAN HAS
ANY OTHER.
NOTIFYING OF CASUALTIES

NOTIFYING OF CASUALTIES
How the War Department Informs
Relatives Of Killed and Wounded
soidiers-Radio and 6uzzer Opera
ton Taught in 600 Schools.
(F'rom Committee on Public 1nformation.)
Washington.--Mot OF field
artillery will be carried to greater
extent in the American army than in
any other army engaged in the war.
Not only will i far greater amount of
motor equipment be provided in pro-
portion to the Strength of the army,
but it will be used for work. where
armies now in the field depend solely
ul,On horse power and man power.
The ordnance department has sue
ceeded in developing such types OF
tractors that, exclusive of the heaviest
field artillery mounted on railroad car
riages. all American artillery will be
motorized, with the exception of some
of the three-inch gun batteries. The
problem of mOtOrizatiOn of field artil-
!ery is Il difficult one, which explains
why it has not been carried out to a
greater extent than has been the case
with the armies that have been fight
ing in Europe for the last three years.
The possible output of tractors for
the transport of field artillery in the
United States is practically unlimited,
whereas the supply Of horses is at
present limited and is becoming more
SO each month.
Relatives of soldiers named in cas-
ualty lists forwarded from France Or
dinarily are notified within "a hours
after receipt of the lists, according to
u statement authorized by the war de-
partment. A statistical division"
with staff of officers and corps Of
stenOgraphers, gives all it's time to
the maintenance of files of soldiers
names and addresses. This division
notifies relatives
\ copy OF the roster of each cOntin
gent sailing to join the eXpedtiOnary
forces is filed in card index fashion,
each card bearing the name of one sol
dier. his organization. and the name
and address OF parent or other relative
or friend designated by him to be mott
fled in emergency. When casualty
list is received from General Pershing
each name cablcd from the American
cXpcditiOnary force is listed with the
emergency address on file in the card
index. AS rapidly as the new list with
emergency addresses is built up the
telegraph clerks get duplicates. These
clerks already are supplied with blank
kilograms which require only the rela-
tive's address. name, of sender, nature
Of casualty and the date. and filling in
the blank spaces they get the tele-
graEis off as quickly as possible. In
addition to maintaining the telegraph
blanks for the sake Of speed the statis-
teal division is supplied with sets of
form letters to be filled in and mailed
when further details are available.
While relatives are generally in re-
ceipt OF Information within "a hours
after the cables are received, delays
are sometimes due to clerical errors
caused by the fact that names must
pass through so many hands in France
and in America. incorrect emergency
addresses turned in by soldiers. re-
mOval OF families to addresses other
than those listed. and the occasional
necessity for cabling back to General
PerSl,ng to verify Il name or to obtain
IN address.
Aside from these four causes Of de-
lay the only reason for the failure of
relatives to receive word at once is
military consideration. General Perish
ing may, at his discretion. withhold a
casually list until he is positive
it will have no military value to the
enemy.
Through the operation of repair
shops for clothing and other articles.
II considerable saving in reissue of new
equipment has been made ut army
CAMPS. One camp quartermaster esti-
mates the issue of new clothing has
decreased one-third, and Of shoes 40
per cent.
AT il base repair shop for clothing
an average Of 1881 garments were re-
paired daily during the first IS days Of
May. III addition to the work done at
base repair shops. many thousands of
garments are repaired ut camp shops,
one Slrop being located at each large
camp.
During April nearly 10000 pairs of
shoes were repaired in army repair
shops. At present practically all hat
repairing is done by contract, the
price varying from so to 80 cents per
hat.
This work il in charge of the cOnSer-
Walton and reclamation division of the
uHartcrn:l>ter corps. which has been
in operation only during the last four
mouths. =
The food administration is making a
careful survey Of the national ice stu
alton in order that it may be prepared
10 meet .ny sudden shortages in par
ticllar communities. The destruction
of ice plants by fire. breakdown of ma
cl,inery, or the exigency of the weather
may ut any time cause serious short
ag..
Incomplete returns from 25 states
show that nearly 3,4OO,OOO women have
registered for war work under the
'Eomans committee of the council of