The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-08-23

for .s 7 have alreadv indicated. the further oe
velopment of the great base ports may !.,nn..
Of some of Its originally contemplated luN. 20 ,h
but however that may be, 1t Is now one oi .i,e
main pillars of the structure. 1t comprises "'u'
variety of enterprises, all on huse sc"e' ~
tered at various points over large section VI WV
country. but skilfully linked up py run uue
branch dovetailed into another. and all como'n
Ing for the quick handling of stores for an army
of millions.
An Organization chart" showing the achviues
centered under the commanding generai ol u''S
great intermediate section, though not quite 30
formidable, perhaps reminds one of chart OF
the Whitehall district of London This command
ing officer Is responsible primarily for the mann
reserve stores. for the American expediuohary
forces and the constant sending forward OF their
daily supplies; but in addition to that he has
large measure of responsibility for the organiza-
tion and control of great camps. schools, Dase
hospitals. rest areas, engineering ana repair
shops, the principal repository for spare parts
of all machinery used In the army, cold storage
plants, oil and petrol depots, forestry work and
control of a good-sized labor army. which In
cludes 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 fac
tory building now nearing completion) built for
the Americans under French supervision, by
Spanish Arm; huge oil and petrol supply sta
u II
highly important branches OF central organza-
ton which constitutes of the real backbone
sections Of the service of supply. At another
point went over great railway yards to see the
rows upon rows Of street structure warehouses
which are being built to hold supplies for
army Of a million men for 30 days; an immense
refrigerating plant and countless other features,
all on the same prodigious scale.
Calm quiet men are supervising 1t ALL watch
ing it grow before their eyes. When the tele-
phones Jingle (and they are never long In re-
pose) there is shouting excitement; just
quiet, firm replies to the questions put. There
is everywhere air of suppressed energy rather
than exuberance "buste." 1t Is orderly prog
ress firmly guided by strong minds, by capable
men, America has put her best executives into
this work and they rapidly making good"
events Of the very near future are certain to
prove.
Farther along the line l much the same
evidence OF orderliAess combined with strength
In the army bakeries. in the big central camOu-
hage plant, at the various advanced centers from
which the army supplies are rearranged for
shifting to various ra,!heads and thence to the
soldiers at the front
If. many believe. Il is going to be neces-
sary for the AmericaIs t. put army Of 3OO.-
900 into the field to enable the allies to achieve
a definite and conclusive military victory, then
the quick development of the full American pro-
gram is matter Of the highest Importance to
the whole allied cause. From every point Of
view the results OF the hrsf years work may be
set down as II glorious achievement. of which
Americans have every right to be proud the
years record is a monument 70 their zeal and
their wonderful ability. 1t II record which
promises still greater things for the future.
1t spells the beginning of the snd, and points
clearly to an overwhelming victory for the allies.
It seems 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
knockout blow by finging against tho allied lines
the full force of his eastern armies released by
the collapse Of Russia, next turns bis efforts to q
concentrated peace offensive. doubtless he will
then surely clear knowledge Of the nature and
extent of the American achievement to date of
the American plans. and most Of all an under
standing Of the underlying determination to go
the whole distance and not stop till the right
kind Of peace has been secured will steel the
hearts Of the war-weary ones and silence the
traitors and pacifsts among US for good and AL