The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1918-01-10

cts, 20,ooo,000 yards Of overcoatfug
and 10000, 900 yards each of shirting
flannel and sufting. involving en- ex-
pendfture OF over $345, ,0O0, 900. In cot
ton goods the department had con-
tracted for 100000, 900 yards OF various
cotton cloths.
"The avtation section of the signal
corps on the first day OF April 1877.
consisted OF IS officers and 1,130 men.
On the first day Of January 1918, 1t
consisted OF $500 officers and s2,f2o
men.
"This division OF tho war depart
ment was charged by congress with
the expenditure Of an appropriation
aggregating, for 1918 $744, 0e0,46o. Or
! 5 times the 1915 appropriation for the
entire war department.
ZOO Per Cent Gain.
"The engineer department for which
in 1917. SIS, 100000 was appropriated
was charged by the 1918 appropriation
with the expenditure of $39o,e00, ,00G or
about seven hundred per cent In
crease.
There have been organized, trained
and equipped technical troops of for
esters, stevedores. and railroad con-
structiun and operation men. agsYegat-
ing about 10000, many of whom have
been operating in France for some
months"
In summing up the war depart
ment's work, the secretary gave the
following as Its chief Accomplish
ments:
"a large army In the field and In
training; SO large that further more
ments to 1t can be adequately equip
ped and trained as rapidly as those
already in training can be transport
ed.
'2-The army has been enlisted and
selected without serious dislocation Of
the industries of the country.
3-The training of the army Is pro-
ceeding rapidly, and its spirit is high.
The subsistence of the army has been
above criticism: its initial clothing
supply. temporarily inadequate. is now
substantially complete, and reserves
will rapidly accumulate. Arms of the
most modern and effective kind-in-
cluding artillery, machine guns, auto
matte rifles. and small arms-have
been provided by manufacture or pur-
chase for every soldier in France and
are available for every soldier who can
be cotton to France In the year 1918.
Substantial Army Abroad.
"A substantial army is already in
France, where both men and officers
have been additionally and specially
trained and are ready for active serv-
Ice.
"6-Independent lines OF communica-
tion and supply and vast storage and
other facilities are in process of con-
struction in France.
"6-Great programs Cor the manufac-
ture OF additional equipment and for
the production of new instruments of
war have been formulated"
Il make this statement" continued
the secretary. fully aware that there
have been produced before the mem
bers of this committee, some express
ions of doubt, difference of opinion.
and disapproval. The war department
has spent eight months hearing sim
liar expressions, ana1yzing them. cor
recting the conditions out of which
they grew, perecting its organization
to prevent their recurrence and all the
while driving on to the accomplish
ment of the main task.
"My military assistants and I ap-
preciate the work which this commit
tee has done and will value suggest
ions from the committee as a whole,
from its individual members and from
every other patriotic citizens which
Will enable US to carry on this work
more effectively and more rapidly.
In the foregoing statement there