Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-04-16
candidates, consisting largely OF en-
listed men, have been in attendance.
Corps of Engineers.

SOIPo VI GHNtflCCIos
At the beginning of the war the en-
gineer troops consisted of three regi-
ments of pioneer engineers, with
trains. one mounted company, one en-
gineer detachment at West Point. The
aggregate strength was approximate
ly 4,125 officers and enlisted men. At
present the aggregate authorized
strength is over 100000, with an act
ual strength of approximately 10000.
OF the special engineer units re-
cruited for service on railways and in
the maintenance Of lines of communi-
cation, many are already in France
and others are awaiting recruitment
to full strength in order to be ready
for overseas service. The first en-
gineer troops, LOO strong. to be sent
abroad, arrived in France about three
months after war was declared. Since
that time the number has been greatly
augmented These troops have been
constantly engaged in general en-
cheering work including the con-
structiOn of railways, docks. wharves,
environments and hospitals for the use
of the American expeditionary forces.
They have. in some instances, in the
performance of their duties. engaged
in active combat with the enemy.
Ordnance Department.
Since the outbreak of war the
commissioned personnel of the ord
nance department has expanded from
81 officers operating with yearly APP
preparations of about S14.0O0,000 and
with manufacture largely confined to
government arsenals. to 5000 officers
in this country and abroad transacting
an unprecedented war program for the
supply Of ordnance, the total direct
appropriations and contract authorize
tons for one year having been $4.-
756.5O3, 1876.
The ordnance storage properties
embrace separate warehouse buildings
and miles of railroad siding. all com
pretended within the depot premises,
which are inclosed by electrically
charged wire barriers and lighted and
patr0lled with unremitting vigilance.
One of these depOts, now under con-
Struction, will include 100 separate
buildings and 50 miles of railroad spe-
cfally built to- serve the depot's needs.
The supply division of the ordnance
department handles material amount
ing to approximately 10000 carloads a
month.
While building the foundation for
greater production, the ordnance de-
partment has provided l 400 900 rifles
has brought the rate of rifle production
up TO $4,000 per week, sufficient to
equip three army divisions secured
deliveries on more than 1900 ma
chine guns; brought the rate of pro-
ductiOn of machine guns from 10000
to 225,0OO per year; increased the rate
of production of 3a-inch to 9-inch cali
Der guns from 800 to $4,000 per year
and has arranged for the manufacture
of some $4,000 motOrtrucks and trac-
tors for hauling heavy guns and am
munitiOn, which are being delivered
almost as fast as they can be shipped.
One billion rounds of ammunition
'-AtE bCCi pui NiiCsNVu IOl tic
of troops in the cantonments alone.
An idea of the extent Of the ord
nance program may be gained from
the following few items of purchase:
Twenty-three million hand grenades,
725,000 automatic pistols, 100000 re-
yOlvers, 23,000000 projectiles for all
calibers of heavy artillery, 427 246,000
pounds of explosives, 100000 machine
guns, and 2,4S4,000 rifles.
The ordnance problem however is
no less one of quality than of quantity
production The American soldier is
being provided with weapons which
give him an additional safeguard to
life and a further guaranty of victory
Achievements Of the ordnance de
partment include the Browning ma
chine rifle, model of 1918. and the
Browning machine gun, heavy type
model of 1918, production of the for
mer now being on a quantity basis by
machine process, while similar prOduc-
ton of the heavier type is imminent.
The heavy Browning machine gun.
water cooled, in government test
fired 10000 shots in 4S minutes and
16 seconds without malfunction.
Quartermaster Corps
The magnitude of the work of the
quartermaster corps is indicated by
the operation of the subsistence divi-
sion, which is charged with the re-
spOnStbility of seeing that food sup
plies for the army are available at all
stations from the Philippines to Lor-
| raine. Purchases recently made in
| cluded 40,000000 pounds dried beans,
! 1l6,O00,000 cans baked beans. of the
1917 crop. 65,1S4 ,475 cans of tomatoes,
! 91,00O00 cans of condensed milk, and
| 20,2S7 900 pounds of prunes
The establishment of the subsistence
! division centralized the purchases of
| foOdStuffs for the army, previous 10
/ which such products were distributed
through the depot quartermaSter. Eff
fective January l, the central control
system has resulted in greater eff
| cheney and a big saving. In January
for instance, 100000 was saved under
this system as compared with the
! prices obtained by depot quartermas
terS, and in February a saving OF
$39,T40 was made on potatoes alone
The central control system is still be
ing perfected.
Production of 10000 new automobile
trucks is in progress for the army, il
addition to purchases of $3.50 paSsen
ger cars, 6.126 motorcycles. and 5.04(
bicycles, with appropriate repair anC
replacement equipment.
In three months the cantonment di
vision of the quartermaster general,
department built 16 cantonments, eacl
one practically a small city. compris
ing about 1,400 separate. buildings ant
providing quarters for 1900 men.
In the construction of these 10 can
toumentS over $4,000 individual build
ings If many types We're erected 70
the housing OF the National arm,
while in training. The construction
! cost approximately S136. 600 OOC