Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08
PROVED WORTH AT CANTIGNY.
j SAYS AMERICAN COMMANDER
Hurled Into Line in Picardy Crisis, They
Demonstrated Our Fighting Qualities .
and Sealed Germans Doom.

artillery; while at Issoudun an i'm
mense plant was built for training
cadets in aviation. These and other
schools. with their well considered
curriculums for training In every
branch of our organization, were CO.
ordinated in manner best to develop
an efhcient Army out of willing and
Industrious young men. many of
whom had not before known even the
rudiments of military technique. Both
Marshal Haig and Gen. Petain placed
Institutional purposes. and we are
deeply indebted for the opportunities
given to profit by their veteran ex-
perience.
American Zone.
Tho eventual place the American
Army should take on the western
front was to a large extent influ-
enced by the vital questions Of COM
munication and supply. The north
ern ports Of France were crowded
by the British armies shipping and
supplies, while the southern ports.
though otherwise at our service, had
not adequate port facilities for our
purposes. and these we should have
to build. The already overtaxed
railway system behind the active
AlOAI nOTlHeRn france WOuIQ NOT
be available for US as lines of supply
and those leading from the southern
ports of northeastern France would
be unequal to our needs without much
new construction. Practically all
warehouses, supply depots and regu-
lating stations must be provided by
fresh constructions. While France
offered US such material as she had
to spare after a drain of three years.
enormous quantities of material had
to be brought across the Atlantic.
With such a problem any tenn
porization or lack of defniteness in
making plans might cause failure
Moreover. broad plans commensurate
with our national purpose and re-
sources would bring conviction of
our power to every soldier in the
front line. to the nations associated
with us in the war and to the enemy.
The tonnage for material for neces..
sary construction for the supply of
an army of three and perhaps four
million men would require a NAM
moth program Of shipbui,ding at
home. and miles of dock construc-
tion in France. with a corresponding
large project for additional railways
and for storage depots.
"All these considerations led to the
inevitable conclusion that if we were
to handle and supply the great forces
deemed essential to win the wO we
must utilize the southern ports OF
France-Bordeaux, La Pallice. st.
Nazaire and Brest-5and the Gom-
leading therefrom to the northeast
Generally speaking, then, this would
contemplate the use of our forces
against the enemy somewhere in that
direction. but the great depots of
supply must be centrally located.
preferably in the area included by
Tours, Bourges and Chateauroux. so
that our armies could be supplied
with equal facility wherever they
might be serving on the western
front.
Growth Of the Service of Supply.
ITO build up such a system there
were talented men in the Regular
Army, but more experts were neces-
sary than the Army could furnish.
Thanks to the patriotic spirit Of our
people at home, there came from civil
life men trained for every sort of
work involved in building and man.
aging the organization. necessary to
handle and transport such an Army
and keep it supplied. With such as
sfstance the construction and general
development Of our plans have kept
pace with the growth of the forces,
to discharge from ships and move
$4,000 tons daily. besides transporting
troops and material in the conduct of
active operations.
"As to organization, all the admin
istrative and supply services, except
the adjutant generals, inspector gem
erafS and judge advocate generals
departments which remain at general
headquarters. have been transferred
to the headquarters of the services of
supplies at Tours under commanding
general responsible to the command
er-in-chief for supply of the armies.
The chief quartermaster, chief
surgeon, chief signal officer, chief of
ordnance, chief of air service, chief of
chemical warfare, the general pur-
chasing agent in all that pertains to
questions of procurement and supply,
the provost marshal general in the
maintenance of order in general, the
director general Of transportation in
all that affects such matters and the
chief engineer in all matters of ad-
ministration and supply. are subordi-
nate to the commanding general of
the service of supply, who. assisted
purpose. is charged with the admin
istrative coordination of all these
services.
'The transportation department
under the service of supply directs
the operation, maintenance and con-
struction of railways. the operation
of terminals, the unloading Of ships
and transportation of material to
warehouses or to the front Its func-
tions make necessary the most intis
mate relationship between our or
ganization and that of the French.
with the practical result that our
able to improve materially the opera
lions of railways generally. Con-
stantly laborfng under q shortage of
rolling stock, the transportation de-
partment has nevertheless been able
BY efficient management to meet every
emergency.
"The Engineer Corps is charged with
all construction. including light rail-
ways and roads. 1t has planned and
constructed the many projects re-
ouired, the most important OF which
are the new wharves at Bordeaux ana
depots at La Palice, Monitor and
Gieyres, besides innumerable hospitals
and barracks in various ports OF
France. These projects have all been
carried on by phases keeping pace
with our needs. The forestry service
the greater part Of the timber and
railway ties required.
ITO meet the shortage of supplies
from America, due to lack OF shlpping,
the representatives of the different
supply departments were constantly
in search of available material and
supplies in Europe. In order to CO.
ordinate these purchases and to pre-
vent competition between our depart
ments, a general purchasing agency
was created early in our experience to
coordinate our purchases and. II
possible. induce our allies to apply
the principle among the allied armies
While there was no authority for the
general use Of appropriations. this
was met by grouping the PURCHASING