The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-08-22

for as have already Indicated. the iu''"e
velopment of the great base ports mn! ye' .oo
of some OF Its originally contemplate" ~ - tha
but however that may be. 1t Is no" one " Wv
main pillars of the structure 1t comprises " WY" WV.
variety of enterprises all on huge scale sc'''-
tered at various points over large sectioh ot 'e
country. but skilfully linked up by rai' one
branch dOvetailed into another, ana All co"'""
ing for the quick handling of stores for an army
Of millions.
An Organization chart" showing the activities
centered under the commanding general OF tms
great Intermediate section. though not nuite SO
formidable. perhaps reminds one OF char' vi
the Whitehall district of London. This command
ing officer is responsible primarily for the main
stores, for the American expeditiohnry
forces and the constant sending forward o. their
daily supplies: but in addition TO that he. has
large measure Of responsibility for the orgnniza
lion and control of great camps. schools, base
hospitals, rest areas. engineering and repair
shops. the principal repository for spare parts
of all machinery used in the army. cold storage
plants. oil and petrol depOts. forestry work ana
control of a goodsized labor army which in
eludes many thousands of negroes. Cinnamon and
German prisoners of war.
A round of this huge field of operations is
both Instructive and inspiring. At one point
went through enormous locomotive assembling
and repair works (housed In great modern rae
tory building nearing completion). built for
the Americans under French supervision by
Spanish firm huge oil and petrol supply sta
tion. n 10.OOO-bed hospital and II number of other
highly important branches OF central organizn-
ton which constitutes one Of the real backbone
sections OF the service of supply. AT another
point went grent railway yards to see the
rows upon of street structure warehouses
which are being built to hold supplies for an
army of n million men for 30 days; nm immense
refrgerating plant and countless other features.
all on the prodigious scale.
Calm. quiet men are supervising it all, watch
ing it grow before their eyes. When the tele
phones jingle (and they are never long In re-
pose) there Is no shouting, no excitement; just
quiet. firm replies TO the questions put. There
is everywhere an air of suppressed energy rather
than eXuberance hustle" 1t is orderly prog
ress firmly guided by strong minds, by capable
men. America has put her best executives into
this work and they are rapidly 'making good.' as
events of the very future are certain TO
prove.
Farther along the line l saw much the same
evidence of ordernesS combined with strength
in the army bakeries, in the big central camou-
fiage plant at the various advanced centers from
which the army supplies are rearranged for
shifting TO various railroads and thence to the
soldiers at the front.
If, as many believe. 1t Is going to be neces-
sary for the Americans to put army of 3OOO.-
900 into the field to enable the allies to achieve
n definite and conclusive military victory, then
the quick development of the full American pro-
gram is a matter of the highest Importance to
the whole allied cause. From every point of
view the results of the first years work may be
set down glorious achievement. of Which
Americans have every right to he proud; the
years record is n monument to their zeal and
their wonderful ability. 1t is record which
promises still greater things for the near future.
1t spells the beginning of the end. and points
clearly to an overwhelming victory for the allies
1t seems to me that the more the people of
France and England and the United States know
about this American work in France the better.
If the enemy, failing in his effort to deliver a
kDOckOut blow by iingfny aguUSt the allied lines
the full force of his eastern armies released by
the collapse of Russia. next turns his efforts to
concentrated peace offensive. ms doubtless he will
then surely clear knowledge OF the nature and
extent of the American achievement to dnte of
the American plans. md most of all under
standing of the underlying determination to &c
the whole distance and not stop till the righ,
kind of peace has been secured. will steel the
hearts of the war-weary ones and silence thu
traitors and paciflsts among US for good and al