Evening journal., 1918-02-05
100000 TiOOFS
IN FRAECE S(OI
Transportation Facilities
Assured, Says Daniels,
Defending Baker
AMERICA MAY
CUT OFF IMPORTS

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-Secrelary
Daniels has authorized the statement
that the navy is assured OF enough
transport facilities to mako suie that
there VIII be 100000 American troops
in France carly this year. as was stated
by Secretary Baker recently before the
senat> Military Anal s Committee
Mr.. Daniels made the statement when
Informed that Sec. etary Bakers fore
cast Of the number Of men to be sen,
abroad had been challenged In the SEN
ate yesterday by Senator Hitchcock.
lie would not say whether the Navy
Depai tments outlook for ships was
sucli as to warrant ihe expectation Of
having 100000 moro men in France
by the end of 1918
A 30 per cent. reduction in the vol
ume Of imports Is one Of the measures
under consdo alton by The adm.nlstra
tlon 60 make available ships for t-ans
porting troops TO France. Overseas
'easportatlon is recognized as the real
problem facing the Government In It's
effort TO put on the firing line a night
ing force and keep lt in supplies
The United States now has In all
shipping, Of which probably one-fourth
is engaged In bringing in goods here
tofore regarded as essential TO the ma
tlonal industrial life.
II negotiations now under way with
neutral countries are concluded sue
cessfully neutral tonnage will be used
to supplsnt American ships engaged in
the non-hazardous trades Il IS re-
gardcd as entirely likely that the en-
tire one million troops OF American
ships engaged viii be put into the
Transatlantic service, leaving tho neu-
trails ships TO supply In so far as pos
sible the gap made The general opin-
ion is that about 80 per cent Of the
shortage Will not be supplied
In addition TO It's efforts 10 obtain
neutral tonnage the Government oX-
poets soon to take over an American
French sailing ships, all Of which Will
be put IN the non-hagardous class /
This move will add some tonnage to
that available for bringing in Imports /
II a cut in imports is made the /
Government VIII select for elimination /
q list Of articles which it rega dis as /
not essential in the prosecution Of the /
war Imports Of certain materials, in
cluding nlrates and manganese, must /
he kept up to a maximum The country /
viii need this year about 100000 tons /
of nitrates from Chile and fully 10000 /
tons Of manganese from Brazil
0mcials who are working out details I
Of the transportation OF troops have
not disclosed TO what extent the Allies
are ready 10 assist with loan Of ton
mage. but many American soldiers will
20 abroad in allied vessels. This was
arranged for In the interallied confer
ence at Paris and was announced on
the return 20 the United states OF
Colonel Edward NJ House
Supplies for the Allies and for the
imerican army abroad stlll are pillne
up faster than they can be transported,
and it Is estimated that more than a
mllion tons Of cargo are awaiting ship
ment along the Atlantic seaboard Even
had the country's production Of ma
terials come up ts expectations and /
had the railroads been able to trans /
port 70 no more goods officials say I
could have been transported across the I
seas.
The shipping board, realizing the sit
uation. is redouhling It's Efforts to
speed up The build ng Of ships With
the assistance of the Labor Depart
ment the board is creating O reserve
Of sh'pya'd labor which they expect
10 place in the yards as fast as IL can
be absorbed