Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-12
BY JAMES B. MORROW.

"a buyer of products and
IN, spender of money Col: Samuel
IN &cRoberts has never been
q - matched by any man in Amer
Tea. He signs his name and billions
not millions. take notice-how out Of
the Treasury. All of the direct instru-
nnents of fighting employed by the
Army in the war with Germany are
purchased by him. Cannon and rifles.
pistols and bayonets. ammunition and
poisonous gases are direct instruments
Of fighting. So are bolos and hand
Erenades, tanks and haversacks. auto
mobiles and cartridge belts.
The troops are now being equipped
step by step through what has become
q simple formula. There is much tur-
moil. seemingly. in the War Depart
ment. Many buildings are occupied.
old ones and new ones, and into them
and out of them men are passing con-
stantly.
But actually there is no confusion in
the grave business of getting the Army
ready for battle. The beating waves
of men break upon the rocks outside
the doors of the generals and the
colonies, but never go farther. Beyond
y,
during daylight and at night; and sys-
tenn and efficiency.
order has succeeded chaos and the
machinery of war is working smoothly.
A group of ordnance officers. seasoned
and experimenting specialists. using
their own expert knowledge. and infor-
nation given them by Pershing at the
front. by the general staff and the War
College in Washington and by Secre-
tary Bakers Office. chose the weapons
Of battle.
Howitzers. for example. are devel-
oped to meet new methods Of combat.
Explosive shells are made more de-
structive. Trench mortars and rifles
are perfected. Here. then, and with
these men. war begins Engineers pre-
pare the specifications. working secret
~ over blue prints. hidden away where
no strange eye can see them.
Manufacture of the weapons follows.
after specifications have been sent to
the procurement division, the chief of
which is Col: Samuel McRoberts. until
recently New York banker. Manu-
fac,urers are called in. Brokers are
excluded. Contracts are negotiated
and signed. Often arrangements must
be made for new plants to be built with
government money.
Upon their execution the contracts are
turned over TO the production division. at
the head OF which is Col. Guy f. Trip.
director Of banks. manufactures. trust
and traction companies. and, until he
1oined the Army, less than year ago.
chairman OF the Westinghouse corpora
tion
It is the duty og Col Trip to see that
the contracts made by Col. McRoberts are
possible. While the weapons are being
produced Col. Ruggles. an officer Of the
Regular Army. has them inspected by
assistants. stationed at every plant In
which war work is being performed
Manufacturers are thus held to their
agreements with the government as to
material workmanship and on.
Once the weapons are made and ac-
copied. they go to the supply division.
Wflich is responsible for their transports
zion and distribution to the troops here
and in Europe. When the United States
declared wan or Germany the ordnance
department composed Of 70 officers
and 500 enlisted men. The divisions Of
more than 10000 officers and other
workers.
The central figure of this article is Col.
MrRoberts. the negotiator Of contracts.
Ton because he is capable "of thinking In
seven figures" Six feet. or an inch less.
In stature. straight. slender and trim as
4 poplar his clipped hair almost white. he
would At the infantry or tie artillery and.
on horseback. were he cut in gre mite or
uuureG in bronze. could be a Gashing
model for the cavalry.
IN part. perhaps. his work can be esti-
mated 10y what lie is required to do in
eQuipping single division for battle. A
o1vision Of American soldiers now contains