Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1918-09-27


the public service reserve.
The federal directors Of employment
for the states have been notified by
the director general to rush the organ
ization Of the boards for their states
and their functioning as quickly as
possible In order to provide relief TO.
short-handed war industries.
Some facts about guns and munitions
told by the secretary Of war:
We are constructing big gun plant
at Neville Island. We signed con-
tract with United States Steel corp0r-
alton to build and operate without
profit this plant for guns Of the larger
calibers. This is the biggest plant Of
this kind ever conceived and will build
guns Of not less than IA inch. The
site is just below Pittsburgh and COW
ers about 1000 acres. The housing
will be on the hills south Of the island.
The amount of money involved Is
$3.50, 900, 900 which Is being supplied by
the United States government. This
plant will handle tremendous amount
of material, and will be retained by
the government after the war.
We have shipped two hundred and
fifty 155-mm. howitzers to France.
We are producing between 25,OOO
and 10000 machine guns per month.
OF Browning heavy 6,OOO to 1000;
Browning light automatic rifle from
5000 to 5000 per month.
We are making about 1000 motor
tractors per month.
We are turning. out all the s::okeless
power we need now.
The production Of rifles has been
about 100000 per month.
We produce more than $4,000 pistols
and revolvers per month.
Orders have been given for the sup
ply of one million emergency rations
by the subsistence division !. Of the
quarterma ster corps. The emergency
ration corresponds to the iron ration Of
the British troops. It Is carried in an
alright, gas-proof container and is suf-
fcient to maintain man for one day..
sustaining his full strength and vigor.
It is strapped in the pack of the SOL
der going over the top and may be
used only according to the instructions
given when the emergency ration is
issued. :.
The emergency ration is composed
Of ground meat and wheat compressed
into q cake. There Is also q block
Of sweet chocolate. The bread and
wheat component may be eaten dry
or, If possible, stirred int. cold water
The cake, when boiled for five minutes
in three pints Of water, results in a
very pala table soup, or when boiled in
one pint of water for five minutes it
makes porridge which may be eaten
hot OF cold. When cold, it may be
sliced and fried, If bacon or other fat
is available. The chocolate component
Of the emergency ration may be eaten
dry or made into hot chocolate.
The quartermaster corps has just
completed purchases Of large quantities
of foodstuffs for distribution by the
American Red Cross. The food will
be shipped to France, Switzerland and
Denmark and used for civilian relief
and at prison camps.
The order includes more than $780,
600 pounds of hard bread; 100000
pounds Of oatmeal; 333,333 pounds Of
fresh beef and more than 100000 cans
Of baked beans. Purchases also have
been made for the Red Cross of 205,0
cans Of fish flakes. These flakes are
a combination Of paddock and shad.
About $50 pounds Of fresh fish are re-
quired to make 100 pounds of fish
flakes.
Purchases also are being made by the
subsistence division Of the quartermas-
ter corps Of foodstuffs for use at
American rest camps in England and
France. Purchase for rest camps in
clude more luXuries than are issued
in the regular ration. Owing to the
shortage of tonnage canned corn and
peas and other fancy staples are not
now being sent overseas for general
use, but sufficient quantities are avail
able for men in rest camps and for the
wounded in the hospitals.
More than 400 colleges have respond
ed to the war departments call for
cooperation in training the new branch
of the army. the students army train
ing corps. Plans are being made to
convert fraternity houses and dorlni
tories into barracks for the period of
the war.
The S. A. T. C. has two branches, the
collegiate, to which men qualified by
high school graduation are eligible;
and the vocational section, to which
grammar school graduates are eligi-
Bile. Recruits will be procured by vol