Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-11-27
The Extent of Americas Military
Effort i'm France When Armistice
Was Signed is Shown by
Statistics.
WE HAD 100000
MEN OVER THERE
Immense Supply of Food Also, 761
100000 Rations of Cigarettes
And Tobacco

AIHciiCd military euOTl III FRANCE
at the time the armistice was de-
clared is shown by statistics which
The Associated Press is now permit
ted to make public. While the figur-
es required to tell the story are in
themselves amazing, ii should be re-
membered that they show only
! part of the great effort made in war
preparations in men, money and ma
terial.
On the morning of November IL,
the United States had in France 49,
391 officers and 1,SS1,376 men,
total of almost 100000. As has al
ready been announced there were
100000 combat troops in the Ar
gonne action This number does not
include the American units engaged
on other parts of the front
American Locomotives Used.
The American army has brought
to France and has in operation 967
standard gauge locomotives and 49,
TIA standard gauge freight cars of
American manufacture. In addition
it has in service $50 locomotives
and 973 cars of foreign origin.
To meet demands which the ex-
listing French railways were unable
to meet, S43 miles of standard gauge
railway were constructed Five hun
dred miles of this have been built
since June !. On top of this, the de-
partment of light railways reports
the construction of lis miles of
road and 140 miles of German light
railways were repaired and put in
operation. Two hundred and twenty
five miles of French railway were
operated by the Americans.
Much Road Building Done.
In building new roads as the
exigencies of battle operations re-
fquired, in keeping French roads re-
paired under the ceasless tide of
war transport and in constructing
bridges in devastated battle regions,
American engineers worked day and
night. The whole region behind the
American lines is full of typical AM
erican road machinery, much of it
of character never before seen in
Europe. To do this work the Ameri-
can evolutionary forces had in oper-
alton Nov. IL more than $4,000
motor vehicles of all descriptions.
Even at the present time it is not
permissible to hint at the vast stores
of munitions and armament brought
over and held in readiness. The as
ISOLATED press, however, is allowed
to give approximate figures showing
what has been accomplished in the
accumulation OF food supplies.
Rations Were Plentiful.
1t will be seen that the American
expeditionary forces We're in no dan
ger of being placed on short rations,
had the war continued, although the
Americans had promised the allies
vast quantities of food.
In army terms, one ration re-
presents the quantity of each article
each man is entitled to daily. 1t is
interesting to note the supply or
some of the principal ration compo-
nents on hand today. For instance,
the Americans have 300,O00,0OO
rations of beans alone, 100000
rations of -four and flour substitutes,
267 100000 rations Of milk, 161,-
900, 900 rations of butter or substi-
tutes, 143,000,O00 rations of sugar,
SO, OO0,00O rations Of meat, $1,000
900 rations of coffee and 100000
rations Of rice, hominy and other
foods. There are requisites such as
favorings, fruits, candy and pota-
toes in proportion, while for smokers
there are 761, 100000 rations of
cigarettes and tobacco in other
| forms.
Represents Vast Economies.
Army authorities point out that
these vast necessary supplies for
the army represent food economies
on the part of the people at home.
Without such economies, the work
would have been virtually impos-
sible, nor would the Americans have
been able to promise certain OF the
allies great assistance in meeting
their requirements during the win
ter. The Associated Press is inform
ed that the American army had en-
gagged to give the French two mil
lion pounds of meat, o,5O0'Ooo
pounds of beans and rice -four, and
milk in proportion. To the British
| 100000 pounds of meat were pro-
missed, while the Belgians We're as
sured that they would receive 4,500,-
900 pounds of rations of all kinds,