The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-10-11
AMERICANS IN FRANCE

American Port, Southwestern
France, Oct. 11.-Eighteen big steam
ships of 5000 to 5000 tons each were
unloading American army goods at
the rate Of 10000 tons day along
1.-THE three miles of American docks
here today The spectacle was
stirring scene of activity. Crowds OF
enlisted men assisted at the matches
and manipulated the giant cranes as
big steel motor trucks were lifted out
bodily, along with parts of locomo'
|tives and railway cars, and all the
miscellaneous freight of an army,
while an army of negro stevedores
kept the steady stream of goods NOV
ing back to the nearby warehouses
and trains.
Taking care of this avalanche Of
army goods coming from America, Is
quite as much of problem as taking
care of the arriving troops. Here
one obtains an idea of the mammoth
proportions of the equipment which
the Americans have been compelled
to set up for this branch of the expe-
dition.
Coming from a northern port, a
succession of big American establish
ments was seen at every port along
the western coast. At one port we're
IA American docks or berths at an
other port eight, at third four, an
other three. Here at this main port
are 16 American docks each with a
thousand feet of frontage.
These As docks at the five main
ports represent a dock frontage Of
about ten miles, capable of unload
ing 10000 tons of army goods every
day, or an average Of about so pounds
per man for everyone serving in
France.
And yet, great as this present
equipment is, it represents only about
third of the vast installation which
is moving steadily forward to COM
pletion in order to meet the needs Of
an army Of several million men, The
basis of calculation for this huge
work is so pounds per day per man
this being an average covering the
whole range Of military supplies, in.
dividual and general, food, clothing,
ammunition, guns, and all other army
Requirements.
On this established basis of so
pounds per day per man, an army Of
a million men requires 100000
pounds Of goods daily, or $4,000 tons
But as the American army in Europe
has long exceeded the million mark
the scale of preparation must be fal
in excess Of this $4,000 tons day
reaching not far from the gigantic
total of 100000 tons daily, to be un
loaded from ships, stored in ware
houses and trains, and started on its
way to the men at the front 1t is
this colossal daily requirement which
stirs into intense activity these miles
on miles Of American docks where
three shifts OF soldier workmen
working night and day, are unloading
scores of steamships.
Seven miles back from the water
front there is another huge Ameri
can installation where goods from
the ships are stored on their way tC
the front. I'll is gigantic, like every
thing in this vast military influx, and
when we visited 1t today the 147tf
warehouse had just then been com
lpleted. Each warehouse is 500 feet
llong and together they stretch along
four miles of front.
In the neighboring camp yere 1000
negro troops and laborers engaged In
the warehouse work An American
railway system connects the water
front directly with this storage PLAN
and incessant streams of army goods
keep moving forward to the ware
house plant. The whole place fairly
throbs with animation, and beside:
the enormous industry there is The
hustle and activity of countless camps
with their khaki tents dotting the
fields for miles along the railway.
Altogether, ON the water front ant
receiving plant, the working forc'
includes $4,000 engineers troops, 7,OOt
stevedores 5000 civilian laborers
, 1000 German prisoners and 1000 in
[ fantry, in all 10000 men carrying OF
the American activities at this on,