Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-15

war, and the Army has never been on
short rations,
sibiiity OF manning. arming and convoy
ing the transports and cargo ships, 1t
has. brought about the closest OF rela-
tions between the sister services. Be
Army and Capt. Pratt OF the Navy is a
telephone connecting the two. and there
Is the secret--the Army and the Navy
have been in patriotic touch and the
service could not fail Together they
have accomplished the unparalleled feat
Of transporting more than 100000 men
and the supplies for the Army that the
men formed; and this was the reply to
the request of Lloyd George for 10000
men and the fulfllment Of the prophecy
OF the British officer who said that 200.-
900 men a month would save the situa-
ton.
Before the transport of men began
there were many estimates and some
guesses of the tonnage required for the
service, and they varied 500 per cent
These are authentic figures. The tom
mage for transportation and maintenance
must be considered separately. The
transportation has taken five tons per
man, and that includes everything but
subsistence and ammunition that goes
TO make an army-with its artillery,
motors. animals. engineer supplies and
supplies in transit, and the constant use
OF two tons to maintain the armies after
their arrival Hence it is obvious that,
mad the war continued only heroic eff
forts would have procured sufficient ton
mage to support the embarkation service,
Tor with each million men the shipping
OF supply had to be doubled.
1t was Gen. March who effected the
organization through which traffic oon-
Gen. Goethals who cleared the way.
Through the corporation OF the Navy,
ships were moved and sent over in
safety, but the division in direct charge
a fs<~v, AE-t
from camp and cantenment to concern
tration camps. inspected and put them
on the vessels. that procured the ships
LOT men and cargoes was the embark
3Iaon service under Brig Gen. Frank r.
Hines. The Navy has made Rear Ad-
miral Albert Gleayes, who directed the
conveys. an admiral. and the mikado of
Japan has bestowed a decoration upon
zen. Hines. so 1t can be seen how the
operation is regarded.
4 X
THE War Department will have on
its hands surplus stock of war
material easily valued at more than
q billion dollars, without including
ordnance supplies as to which any
nEures would be the result OF a guess
Or nightmare. Nor does this amount
include material held by the reclama-
tion service and called salvage-junk
Or repaired or renovated supplies. The
proper disposition of this property
will take into consideration the cash
value to be received by the govern
ment. and what Is OF even greater i'm
p0rtance, the avoidance Of market
disturbances through the careless
dumping OF this mass Of ready-made
goods upon the country at the very
DC =
manufacturer or packer to resume
business and to use his capital ana
employ labor in the great reconstruct
tive period believed to be at hand.
tor OF purchase and storage, has is
sued a notice (P. and s. No. $50 Gre
atinS in his division surplus prop
erty division and defining it's or
dispose Of this stock Of surplus sup
piles on sound economic principles.
The director OF purchase and storage
will determine what is surplus stock
and will appoint n chief surplus prop
crty officer in each purchase conc anG
an assistant in places where supplies
are stored.
The surplus property division will
make or direct sales OF surplus stocks
by auction. on sealed bids or other.
purchase, storage and traffic tnow
Mai Gen. Goethals). A governing
sales board will be created to pass
upon the acceptance Of bids where
considerations Of policy OF fair deal
ings may require such action. 1t must
take into account the broad require
mc1lts of business and labor condi-
tons. Sales Of guns and ammunition
will be made in accordance with
other orders and only after legisla-
ton by Congress. The new division
is devised for the purpose Of dealing
with the problem in O spirit of fair
ness to all and with the intention of
cutting out the favored bidder.
X X
A the hearing of Rear Admiral r.
Il. Coontz. acting chief of opera
tions in the absence of Admiral Ben
son and Capt. w. V. Pratt, who have
gone to attend the peace conference,
the story came out of U-boat activi-
ties to hinder transportation of men
and supplies by the planting of mines
along the coast. 1t appears that Ger
man naval officers have observed the
terms of the armistice and correctly
given the number and location Of sub
marine mines which their U-boats had
planted in the track of navigation.
and the extent of these operations
came as a good deal Of q surprise to
American naval officers.
The Navy, acting on the information.
has sent mine sweepers which have
H.