, 1918-04-11

AT the beginning of the war the en-
siheer troops consisted Of three regi-
ments OF pioneer engineers. with
trains, one mounted one on.
siheer detachment at West Point. The
aseregate strength was approximate
~ A'l2o officers and enlisted men. At
present the aggregate authorized
strength is over 2OO,OO with an act.
ual strength of approximately 12O.OOO
VI the special engineer units re-
cruited for service on railways and in
the maintenance Of lines of
cation' many are already In France
ana others are awaiting recruitment
10 fuii strength in order to be ready
ior overseas service. The first en-
gineer troops, LOO strong, to be sent
ABROAD, arrived In France about three
month after war was declared. Since
that time the number has been greatly
augmented. These troops have been
constantly engaged in general en-
cheering work, including the con-
struction Of railways, docks, wharves,
cantonments. and hospitals for the use
OF the American expeditionary forces.
They have. in some instances, in the
performance Of their duties, engaged
In active combat with the enemy.
Ordnance Department.
since the outbreak of wal the
commissioned personnel Of the ord.
n department has expanded from
81 officers, operating with yearly ap-
preparations of about S14, OOO, 900 and
with manufacture largely confined to
government arsenals, to 5000 officers
In this country and abroad, t~ransacting
an unprecedented war program for the
supply Of ordnance, the total direct
appropriations and contract authorize
tons for one year having been 81
756, sos, 1876.
The ordnance storage properties
embrace separate warehouse buildings
n miles of railroad siding, all COM
pretended within the depot premises,
which are inclosed by electrically
charged wire barriers and lighted and
patrolled with unremitting vigilance.
One Of these depots, now under con-
structon. will include 100 separate
buildings and so miles of railroad spe-
cially built to serve the depot's needs.
The supply division Of the ordnance
department handles material amount
Ing to approximately 10000 carloads a
month.
While building the foundation for
greater production, the ordnance de-
partment has provided 1,40O, 900 rifles;
has brought the rate Of rifle production
up to $4,000 per week, sufficient to
amin .fhran rrn Abundance 1900
deliveries on more than 1900 ma
chine guns; brought the rate Of pro-
duction of machine guns from 10000
to 225.000 per year; increased the rate
of production of 3h-inch to 9-inch cali
Der guns from 1900 to $1,000 per year;
and has arranged for the manufacture
Of some $4,000 motortrucks and trac-
tors for hauling heavy guns and am
munition, which are being delivered
almost as fast as they can be shipped.
One billion rounds Of ammunition
has been purchased for the training
Of troops In the environments alone.
An idea of the extent Of the ord
program may be gained from
the following few Items Of purchase:
T~wenty-three million hand grenades,
725,00O automatic pistols, 10000 re-
~volvers. 23.O00,O00 projectiles for all
calibers of heavy artillery, 427, 900
pounds of explosives, 100000 machine
guns. and 2,484,OOO rifles.
The ordnance problem, however, is
no less one of quality than of quantity
production. The American soldier is
being provided with weapons which
give hin an additional safeguard to
life and a further guaranty of victory.
Achievements Of the ordnance de-
partment include the Browning ma
chine rifle, model of 1918, and the
Browning machine gun, heavy type,
model of 1918, production of the for
mel now being on a quantity basis by
machine process, while similar produc-
ton of the heavier type is imminent.
The heavy Browning machine gun,
water cooled, in a government test
fired 10000 shots in 4S minutes and
10 seconds without malfunction.
Quartermaster Corps.
The magnitude of the work of the
quartermaster corps is indicated by
the operation Of the subsistence divi-
sion, which is charged with the re
sponsibility of seeing that food sup
plies for the army are available at all
stations from the Philippines to Lor-
raine. Purchases recently made in
cluded 100000 pounds dried beans,
10000, 900 cans baked beans of the
1917 crop, SO, ,475 cans of tomatoes,
81, 900, 900 cans Of condensed milk, and
20,2S7, 900 pounds Of prunes.
The establishment Of the subsistence
division centralized the purchases Of
foodstuffs for the army, previous to
which such products were distributed
through the depot quartermaster. Ef-
fective January 1, the central control
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